Posts: 12891
10/13/09 4:36 P

Hello,

Those are great suggestions.

Samantha

Posts: 514
10/13/09 1:49 P

This is a great topic!
Thanks for the wonderful ideas.

My ideas:
cream cheese and turkey (or whatever lunchmeat) sandwiches w/ lettuce. my LO is a bit underweight, so we use the cream cheese as a way to "fatten" him up. He loves it. we use a variety of flavors. blueberry, garlic & onions, garden veggie, honey flavored, plain.

I also tend to add a bit of organic honey to some of his sandwiches. taste great and natural honey is very good for you (no honey for children under the age of 1, just a reminder).

Plain yogurt with fruit

Also, this has done my heart very well, try Tofurkey, if you're looking to reduce lunchmeat (nitrates, preservatives etc). It is a wonderful substitute. My son has never noticed the difference. He's 3. He just gobbles his little sandwich with no complaints (No saturated fats, no cholestorol).

Homemade pizzas (you can easily take care of all 4 food groups)

Posts: 230
9/27/09 9:24 P

Thanks for the ideas - I bought some mini pitas to go with homemade hummus, and made some a healthier version of pigs in a blanket to try out. I will probably send him some 'snacky' lunches too with cheese and crackers and grapes (he loves that at home)...I love the idea of the roll ups with cream cheese and veggies. I'll have to invest in a thermos - he loves spagetti

Posts: 2
9/27/09 9:01 A

My vegetarian twins are in a nut-free classroom (they're in 2nd grade,and they have snack and lunch); here's what we do.

I have small hot/cold thermos bottles, so they get lots of soups, stews, chilis, and spaghetti in cold weather. In hot weather, applesauce or yogurt with fruit.

Usually, I include a half bagel (one of the large ones), a piece of fruit, sometimes a hardboiled egg and either a bell pepper or cut up veggies with the hot thermos stuff.

When it's hot out, though, they get either salad in their tiffin tins, or sandwiches

hummus, bell pepper and tomatoes; cream cheese, shredded carrot and olives; pesto, sliced apples and mozzerella; cheddar cheese with lettuce and tomatoes,

Posts: 230
9/26/09 4:58 P

I was hoping for some more 'sandwich' type ideas on here. My son goes to a nut-free school, so no PBJ for him there (though he loves it on his toast in the morning). I'm not a huge fan of processed meats, but he's been having turkey sandwiches on whole wheat all month and now he's asking for something different. Any ideas?
The rest of the lunch box is great for him, homemade muffins, fresh fruit, apple sauce (and my sneaky veggie treats). Plus his school has a milk program so I know he's getting his milk in. It's just the sandwich part that's stumping me.

Posts: 7
9/25/09 4:31 A

I would be more worried about whats IN the lunch meat.You will most likely find it has so many preservatives, no need for ice. Ive found PBJs to be a stand by (then make a very healthy snack ready when they get home)-PBJ using only ground salted peanuts for PB,and using preserves instead of jelly(look out for High Fructose Corn Syrup in EVERY THING)wheat bread no white. Organic is the best way to go for everyone- a growing child needs our help in this world all about profit and not caring who gets the unhealthy cheaply made,fillers, preservatives,imitation sugar,MSG,growth hormones,antibiotics,man made/created in a lab to taste so yummy CRAP. Yes, Organic costs a little more, but the health benefits out weigh and gives us more of an excuse to not to buy expensive candy- replace good food with candy budget. Look up book "fast food nation" and watch "super size me" to start with.After researching I had a hard time shopping- I got over it and just concentrated on minimizing additives etc.know what to look for. What scared me the most about growth hormones in animals- is the fact recently the scientific community is lowering standard age of puberty to 8, because of girls starting their periods as early as 2 - stating the reasoning for this as 'normal human evolution.' I'm SORRY, but how stupid do they think we are? Unfortunately, most people like to turn a blind eye and keep themselves in denial (it's easier) and trust that any government established and funded organization is completely honest. Imagine what kind of economic impact it would have on the nation if we changed what is okay or not okay to put in food and water? Hmmmm...
BUT- The FDA is going out of their way not to frighten the general public about the food they are eating. The FDA's complete lack of concern for people's health just for the sake of commercialism is both startling and sickening. The government also offers subsidies to farmers who produce corn and other non- organic crops while raising the cost to grow organically. However, we can all do our part to help this unethical problem by buying organic instead of USDA Foodservice of America products to benefit your local organic farmers. Also, avoiding all the major fast food chains who use USDA products will benefit the economy and the health of present and future generations. Sorry if you find this overwhelming, I just find myself obligated to share - I hope you find this helpful.

Posts: 40
9/14/09 5:44 P

My kids go to daycare and they have to take their lunch so I have been packing fruit and cheese kabobs with milk and carrot sticks or a hard boiled egg, with applesauce, string cheese, multi-grain roll or crackers, milk. They seem to like the different stuff versus the regular pb&j.

Posts: 11893
9/11/09 2:09 P

My son is in first grade and I usually pack him a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, some crackers, an apple or dried cranberries, and a sugar free pudding. He is a pretty picky eater. I am going to start freezing gogurts and putting those in his lunch and try some of the ideas that you ladies posted. The hard thing for me is that alot of the things my kids eat for lunch at home are hot so I cant send that stuff in his lunch.

Posts: 1
9/9/09 10:20 A

I'm a mother of 4 girls with one on the way. We don't know the sex of the baby yet, but as you can imagine hoping for a boy. My older girls are 12 and twins 11. They don't like the school lunches so I pack there lunch everyday. I try to include some kind of fruit, cheesestick, a yummy snack, and of course a sandwhich. My concern is I worry about putting lunchmeat in their lunches because I don't want it to spoil or go bad. I put an ice pack in there lunchpal, but I wondered if that's good enough. Any suggestions.

Posts: 719
8/26/09 1:23 P

I just received an email from Gerber.com, that has a whole printable lunch menu for the month. I am going to check this out too, and try to go for similar items-they have preschool listed on here. It was under Start Healthy, Stay Healthy.

Posts: 31
8/26/09 9:28 A

Wow ladies! Thanks for all the great ideas. My daughter just started K4 this year & I have been racking my brain to think of creative, healthy lunch ideas for her. I hate to just give her a sandwich everyday.

Posts: 719
8/24/09 8:49 A

Thanks for all of the tips:) I am against most of the low-fat products for kids, too, however, I did give Max some dip last week that was reduced calorie, as he has a tendancy to just eat the dip, lol. I am trying to work on him, though. I have been giving him a lactose free milk that isn't reduced calorie at this time. He seems to do better with that in comparison to the other milk we gave him (he used to have terrible diarrhea). He does sneak into a lot of our snacks, which I am going crazy about. My DH keeps buying a lot of junk food and Max is in this all the time- I turn my back and he is eating huge amounts of cookies. I still try to make healthy meals, but this thing with him getting into stuff is driving me crazy:) Well, thanks so much for your ideas, as they are so informative. With a new baby coming, that will help a great deal as well. I want to start making baby food meals to save money and to aid in the baby's nutrition, as well as Max's lunches. Thanks again. I am printing these ideas out so I can have some healthy ideas for Max tomorrow. Have a great day!

Edited by: MAXMAMA77 at: 8/24/2009 (08:50)

Posts: 4344
8/23/09 9:18 P

"Pediatric clinicians noted a number of years ago that children who were put onto lowfat and low-cholesterol diets failed to grow properly. It seems that during the critical growing years, children need levels of fat substantially in excess of the levels recommended in the US dietary guidelines. After all, mother’s milk contains 55 percent of calories as fat, much of it saturated fat. Children need high levels of fat throughout the period of growth and development. Milk and animal fats give energy and also help children build muscle and bone. In addition, the animal fats provide vitamins A and D necessary for protein and mineral assimilation."

http://www.westonaprice.org/know
yourfats/diet_children.html


This is a great website! The article goes on to say that essential fats help children against infections, heart disease, and tell parents what are good fats VS bad fats.

I don't understand why parents give their children, who are not overweight, skim milk and other low caloie foods. It is not good, unless a child is over weight. Children burn off calories faster than adults. They have a lot of energy and need high calorie nutritional foods and healthy sources of fats in their diet!

Posts: 4344
8/23/09 9:06 P

P.S. Not to say that you should eliminate all sugar in your child's diet. Children love sugar, so moderation is key!!

Posts: 4344
8/23/09 9:02 P

Hi Maxmama77- It seems like you are giving your child really good foods!

I have a question: What sugar-free foods are you talking about? For instance, we buy sugar free peanut butter (we add honey), and I make my own applesauce without any sugar (just cinnamon). I am sure if you bought sugar-free it wouldn't be bad to give your son. In fact, it is better! Limiting sugar in children is a good thing because not only is it good for the body, but also good for your child's teeth!

-avoid anything on a food label that has dyes (red dye number 40, etc.)
-avoid anything on the label that has high frutose corn syrup (sugar)

I would advise you not to give your child Splenda (sucralose) or other artificial sweetners (aspartame). There have been many studies on aspartame that claim that aspartame is not safe, especially for the growing brains of children. You also want your son to prefer the natural sweetness of real, wholesome foods like fruits and vegetables. Babies who are fed only such foods grow up to shun the chemical taste of artificial sweeteners. These children associate eating well with feeling good. When they taste an artificially sweetened drink, such as a diet soda, they often complain of "yucky-tummy." Their body tells them that the stuff is not good for them. On the other hand, if your infant is fed a steady diet of artificially sweetened foods and drinks, he will grow up thinking this is what food is supposed to taste like. Factory-made sweeteners still remains in question, so when in doubt, leave it out.

Posts: 719
8/23/09 7:43 P

Hi Luv4myboys,
Your ideas are great too:) I am going to try these as well. They sound great. I do have a nutrition question, since you you have a nutrition background... Our family is a bit concerned with sugar-free products, although my dad is diabetic and has to have them. However, are they safe for kids? I keep hearing mixed information about that. I try to give Max the drinks with 100 percent juice or lower sugar, but I am not sure what is better. I have given him drinks with Splenda a couple of times, but I have read some questionable info on it as well. I guess that is better than giving kids tons of drinks, etc... I am really aware of the breads like white vs. brown breads, as white typically is bleached and processed, but I wish my DH would enjoy the whole grain like I do. I am glad, Max will eat wheat and loves Wheat thin crackers as well. I don't like playing short order cook for everyone, though. Everyone's ideas are so great on here- I will have to try these out.

Edited by: MAXMAMA77 at: 8/23/2009 (19:44)

Posts: 4344
8/22/09 4:42 P

P.S. Think of White as BAD and Brown as Good-

White- (Bad)

Potatoes (depends on how you cook them baked vs. fried)
Rice
Bread
Pasta

Brown- (Good)

Breads (100% whole wheat bread and buns)
Whole grain rice
Whole Wheat Pasta

Stick to Sweet Potatos Vs. White Potatoes. Baked sweet potato fries are excellent!!!

Posts: 4344
8/22/09 4:31 P

Actually grains are the most important food group. It is the largest area on the food guide pyramid because of fiber (oatmeal, 100% whole wheat, flax seed, etc.). It is recommended for children to eat around 6 servings of whole grains daily.

Next is the veggies group which is extremely important due to how many vitamins and minerals are in veggies! It is recommended for children to eat at least 2 servings, but they can have as many servings of veggies as the want. Children should have a variety of colors of veggies daily...some orange, some green, some yellow etc. to get various vitamins.

Next is the milk and dairy group. It is extremely important for children to have some dairy in their diet (if they are not intolerant or allergic). It is recommended that children have 2-3 servings of dairy daily.

Next is the fruit group. It is also important to get a variety of colors of fruits. Blueberries are probably the best fruit to eat. It is very high is antioxidants and vitamins. Bananas or Kiwi is another good fruit, and high in potassium. It is recommended that children eat 2-3 servings of fruit a day.

Next is the meat, beans, fish, and nuts group. Children need 1-2 servings of protein daily. Parents should stick with lean meats (like turkey and chicken). Natural organic peanut butter is very healthy and you can buy some with out the sugar. As a substitute you can add honey to slightly sweeten. Peanuts and almonds are very healthy sources of protein.

The last food group is the fats and oils groups. Children should get 1 serving of a fat or oil. Healthy oils are extra virgin olive oil. Toss a little on salad and squeeze a little lemon...very tasty.

http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_h
ealthy/food/pyramid.html


I am very interested in nutrition. I minored in nutrition and health in college and have a degree in it! I love to learn about healthy recipes!

*JUST A NOTE: Do not give a young child low-calorie, non fat, diet foods unless they are over weight or your child's doctor recommends due to another health concern. It is not necessary. Just stick to healthy foods within the food groups and your children should be fine!

MY LUNCH IDEAS:

Ants on a Log: Celery, Peanut Butter, and Raisins (3 food groups right there)

Heart Shaped peanut butter sandwiches: Whole grain bread, peanut butter, Sugar free preserves cut into a heart with a cookie cutter (2-3 food groups depending on the preserves). Or you can use honey instead of the jelly.

Lean Chicken and Turkey Sandwiches on whole wheat with cheese and lettuce (3 food groups)

Yogurt and granola with fresh fruit (3 food groups)

Apples dipped in peanut butter (VS Carmel or other sugary preservative filled dip)

Zucchini Muffins

Fruit Kabobs (find a safe kabob to use)

Trail Mix (add all the healthy things you want...baked goldfish crackers, raisins or other dried fruits, whole wheat crackers, pretzels, etc.)

Oatmeal raisin cookies (one of the healthier cookies) :)

Stick with 1-2% milk for a lunch drink or Juicy Juice 100% juice (Capri Sun and other similar juices are full of dyes and high fructose corn syrup...bad, bad, bad for body AND teeth- especially if kids are unable to brush teeth after school lunch).

***ALSO- Stay away from purchasing Lunchables. The meat, cheese are processed, and the crackers are not healthy. They also come with a Capri Sun drink which is worse than soda (it contains more sugar).

***Edited to say that POTATOES are not a veggie. It is so funny how so many people believe that french fries fit into the veggie group!





Edited by: ALWAYS4EVER at: 8/22/2009 (16:37)

Posts: 4164
8/22/09 9:30 A

Just one word of caution - be careful with those baby carrots. Children as old as 4 can and have choked and died. Make sure carrots are cut up small enough so they can't get lodged.