SUPERMARKETGURU FOOD &
HEALTH WEEKLY NEWSFLASH!
How to Pack a Lunch
Published on: August 30, 2003by Ali Moss
For many reasons, parents should do their best to pack lunch for their child every day. This is the only sure way to prevent the malnutrition or overload of fats that undoubtedly accompanies school lunches. It's also a great way to be in your child's mind even if you can't be with them at school. I wasn't allowed to buy lunch at school until my junior year in high school and, though I complained, I always ate healthily. And, I became well acquainted with the "art" of packing a lunch.
The most important thing to master is the sandwich. Using this to your advantage, you can disguise a lot of otherwise unappealing vegetables. Also, a good sandwich will set the mood for the whole meal, because this is generally the center of the meal and the first thing to be eaten. Keep in mind:
- Don't skimp on ingredients - in amount or diversity. Nothing looks more unappealing than two pieces of meat on bread. Also, a really thin and boring sandwich feels juvenile to older kids. In addition to the usual cheese and meat, add lettuce, tomato, roasted peppers, onions, potato chips, anything to make the sandwich interesting for you kid.
- Try using different breads. For older kids, rolls are excellent because they replicate a deli sandwich, and everything tastes better when it's from a deli.
- Don't only use cold cuts. Try making egg salad or chicken salad. Add humus to the sandwich or replace sliced turkey with a chicken cutlet or some left over steak.
- Condiments are essential. Nobody wants a dry sandwich. Aside from the normal mustard and mayo, try salad dressings or herb mayos.
Most importantly, pay attention to your kids. Ask if they liked their sandwich. Ask them how they would change proportions and ingredients.
Second to the sandwich come all the accoutrements. The most pertinent thing to remember here is to be creative and not to get stuck in a rut. Although it's great to find something that your kids love, running out to Costco and buying four cases of it is only going to lead to your children's aversion to this food probably for their whole life. In order to avoid falling into such a pattern, take your kids shopping with you and listen to them. No, you don't have the buy every box of Lucky Charms or Fruit by the Foot they pick out, but kids love feeling like they have control over even one thing you purchase.
As children get older and progress into their teenage years, it becomes harder to pack a lunch. Carrying a brown bag can be embarrassing, especially if its contents haven't changed since second grade. Try to switch away from the usual sandwich, try pastas or salads. Buy sushi as a treat, or - even better - make your own (remember food safety though ... skip on the raw fish)! Pack bottles or cans of juices instead of boxes. The best idea, however, is to give your teen the option of packing his/her own lunch. You can monitor what they're putting in, but chances are they will follow your example and pack a great, healthy lunch. Even if they only do this once a week, you can get great ideas and your teen is sure not to complain as much over the next lunch you pack.