Zing-y, Zany Lunch Boxes!

Zing-y, Zany Lunch Boxes!

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Photo courtesy of KDFW-TV Good Day Dallas.

Youโ€™re up, out of bed, scrambling eggs for your kids, making sure theyโ€™ve got their homework, everyone is dressed, andโ€ฆnow itโ€™s time to pack those lunches. What will it be today? PB and J? โ€œDad! We had that yesterday!โ€ For moms and dads who need help adding some Zing to your childโ€™s lunch box, take a moment to gain ideas from Registered Dietitian Meridan Zerner from KDFW-TV Good Day Dallas. Meridan showcases several creative lunch box ideas just in time for back to school. Dietitian-Recommended Lunches Suggestions for healthy eats that will provide your kiddos with the physical energy and mental focus theyโ€™ll need for that science class after lunch include:
  • Mix high-protein, low-sugar yogurt and granola together in a to-go container. Toss in fresh fruit!
  • Whole grain tortilla wrap with low-fat tuna or chicken salad, dark leafy greens and tomatoes
  • Whole grain tortilla wrap with a nut butter and banana slices (if your school is nut-friendly)
  • A slice of cheese and low-sodium deli meat sandwiched between two high-protein, whole grain waffles
  • Pack a mason jar full of squash, quinoa or other whole grain, feta and light dressing
  • Get creative with fruit and veggies โ€“ have your kiddos tried purple carrots? Cut fruit into fun shapes, fashion fruit skewers (see photo below) or pack a โ€œ100% Fruit Roll-Upโ€ (recipe courtesy of Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Jodi Danen)
  • Lastly, make a bento box. Compartments hold a hard-boiled egg, nuts, dried fruit, veggies, andโ€ฆa Zing Bar! More fun bento box ideas here from Parents Magazine: โ€œThink Inside the Box: 50 Bento Box Lunch Ideas.โ€
Mini Cooks in the Kitchen Invite your kids to help you in the kitchen to pack their lunches โ€“ theyโ€™ll learn more about foods and will gain skills that will last! Youโ€™ll be spending quality time with them, and itโ€™s also likely that they will want to try new foods if they had a part in making them. Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Jen Haugen, RD, LD, author of The Momโ€™s Guide to a Nourishing Garden, shared with us that introducing dark leafy greens to her young daughter was like asking her to eat bugs. โ€œShe preferred sweet tasting foods over all things green,โ€ Jen said. But the family had a backyard garden; and Jen and her daughter made quesadillas and tore up chard to put inside. Jenโ€™s daughter grew the chard herself and had weeded the entire area where it grew. โ€œShe gobbled up the entire quesadilla, and she actually said she liked it!โ€ Jen said. Yet another idea for a great-tasting lunch! Your son or daughter wonโ€™t want to swap lunches with any of his or her classmates this year!