Healthy Lunchbox Tips

· Small children have small appetites, so pack small portions – think appetizers. Instead of packing a whole chicken salad wrap, turn it into a “roll” by cutting it into several pieces and only packing a couple of the rolls one day and the remaining rolls the next.

· Get creative with traditional sandwiches by using cookie cutters to cut them into fun shapes. Or use different types of breads and crackers such as cinnamon or raisin bread, bagels, pita bread, tortillas, rice cakes, and croissants.

· Prepackaged lunches found in the grocery store are a bit pricey and not always very nutritious. Put together your own using healthier food choices such as sliced cheese and meats, cut-up veggies and dips, dried fruits, nuts, pretzels, baked chips, and whole-grain crackers.

· Crunchy granola sweetened with raisins and/or yogurt chips are a great alternative to high-fat snacks.

· Make kabobs with ham or turkey, cheese, mushrooms, olives, pickles, tomatoes, and other assorted veggies.

· Jell-O and yogurt are almost always a hit. Don’t forget to include a plastic spoon in the lunchbox.

· Include cheese quesadillas cut into slices. These are easy to make in the microwave by heating shredded cheese between two tortilla wraps. Add pizza or marinara sauce for dipping.

· Slice up leftover chicken breast like chicken fingers and include barbecue or honey mustard sauce for dipping. Leftover meatballs are a good alternative too.

· Homemade muffins like banana nut or blueberry are wonderful treats!

· Keep foods cold in insulated lunch boxes with a frozen gel pack. You can also freeze water bottles and fruit juice boxes to help keep food cold. They will thaw out just in time for lunch.

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Copyright 2009 Charlene Davis. All rights reserved.