School Lunches

Do’s

• Encourage kids to eat every 3-4 hours
• Include protein in every meal and snack
• Have a hearty, protein-rich breakfast
• Provide healthy fats
• Provide healthy snacks and drinks

 

Don’ts

• Skip breakfast
• Give lunch money every day
• Eat at bedtime
• Have the same menu every day

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Some Tips

Sandwiches

• Not okay for everyday
• Not a good composition (usually high in simple carbs, little protein, often little to no vegetables or good fats)
• If making a sandwich, think healthy “cold cuts” – home-cooked chicken/turkey breast, thinly sliced

 

Healthy snacks are important

• Don’t forget the protein
• Prevent cravings later
• Maintain blood sugar to prevent “crash” during mid-morning and mid-afternoon

 

Choose the right drinks

• Keep water intake up
• Consider dairy alternatives – e.g. rice, coconut milk
• Can you have too much fruit juice? Yes! (Click here for more information)

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Some Meal Suggestions

Breakfast

• Hard-boiled or poached eggs
• Fruit
• Rice cakes and nut butter (if tolerated/allowed) or “alternative nut butter”
• Protein shake/smoothie – berries, greens, avocado, clean protein powder
• Quinoa/amaranth porridge
• Whole or puffed grains cereal with fruit, nuts and dairy alternative

 

Lunch

• Leftover dinner
• Salad (or veggie sticks) with grilled chicken
• Quinoa or other grain salad with poultry or fish and veggies
• Homemade stew (beans, lentils, chicken, vegetables)

 

Dinner

• Poultry, fish, bean/lentil mix
• Salad, steamed/sautéed vegetables
• Whole grain: brown rice, barley, quinoa, sweet potato, yam
• Limit white potato and corn

 

Snacks

• Apple wedges with almond butter (if tolerated/allowed) or “alternative nut butter”
• Veggie sticks with hummus
• Kale chips
• Rice crackers with bean-guacamole
• Roasted chickpeas