Back to School Lunches
Lunch Tips!
As we get into Back-to-School mode, making lunches looms on the horizon. Making school lunches doesn't have to be a chore. Providing kids with at least 3 food groups ensures they will have options in their lunch to fill them up! See below for some ideas to get you started!
1. Kid Styled Pizza
These could be a pizza variety or crackers, meats, and cheeses.
- Pizza food groups: crust (grain), tomato sauce (fruit), and cheese (dairy), add pepperoni or ground beef crumbles for some protein
- Deli meats and cheese: crackers (grain), ham or turkey slices (protein), low fat cheese squares (dairy)
- Breakfast: mini pancakes or waffles (grain), nut butter (protein) or cream cheese (dairy), blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, or other fruit toppings (fruit); add sausage links, bacon, or ham slices for additional protein
2. Sandwiches
These could be the good ol’ standbys of peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese, but what about hazelnut spread and banana or cream cheese and jelly?
- Turkey & cheese - bread (grain), turkey (protein), and cheese (dairy); add tomato and a lettuce leaf for some veggies!
- Salads - tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad, pasta salad (add mix-ins from a few different food groups)
3. Grazing Box
Have your child choose 4-5 of their favorite foods to enjoy throughout the day and surprise your kiddo.
4. Banana Sushi
Tortillas (grains), peanut/nut butter (protein), coconut shreds (fruit)
5. Apple Nachos
Apples (fruit), peanut/nut butter (protein), and granola (grains)
6. Skewers
Meat (protein) and cheese (dairy) cubes with fresh fruit kabobs. Anything is more fun to eat on a skewer!
7. Yogurt Parfait
Yogurt (dairy), strawberries & blueberries (fruit), and granola (grain)
8. Pizza bagels
Mini bagels (grain) topped with tomato sauce (fruit), and cheese (dairy)
9. Dips & Spreads
Try hummus (protein) with whole grain crackers (grains) and/or cucumber rounds (veggie) or carrot sticks (veggie) with low-fat ranch dressing. What about nut butter (protein) with graham crackers (grains)?
10. Mini Muffin Meal
Try homemade blueberry muffins (grain) with yogurt (dairy) and frozen fruit cubes or a savory muffin with eggs (protein), cheese (dairy) and spinach (veggie) or a pizza muffin (crust - grain, tomato sauce - fruit, and cheese - dairy)!
Talk to your child about the 5 food groups and what foods are found in each. Post a picture of MyPlate (MyPlate.gov) on your fridge and make meal time an educational experience! Remember to enlist your child for ideas, you may be surprised what they come up with!
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