Making Healthy School Lunch Choices

I have three children who want a lunch in school everyday. Together with morning being the customary train wreck until everybody gets outside the door, I rejoice when the kids opt for a school"hot lunch" since it means less work, confusion, and commotion in the morning. "Hot lunch" - it seems healthy, but once I began digging into the menus it isn't quite as healthy as it appears. In fact they are generally high in fat, calories, and not particularly healthy.

Almost Ice packs for lunch box 'd ever imagine making is healthier than the normal school lunch! Still, the kids love"deep fried cheese sticks" and breaded and fried and then rewarmed chunks of chicken like substance, so I allow them to have the occasional school lunch. However, at least a couple of days a week, people opt for a much healthier choice and earn lunch in your home. We try to include a main route like a sandwich or soup, a bite such as crackers or pretzels, and hopefully at least one serving of fruits or vegetables.

My 2nd and 4th graders can also make lunch themselves, even though they need some supervision. Additionally, beginning assembling lunch the night before goes a long way, even if it's only packaging a few carrot sticks or crackers and possibly getting drinks together. I've learned pretty fast that they will need to like the lunch that they package or it is likely to come home mainly uneaten, perhaps complemented with less healthy snack machine or alternative choices.

It is more work, however once we pack a lunch that they eat healthy and frequently happier as they have to choose what they bring for dinner, with just a little parental supervision of course.