Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

Milwaukee NNSnewsMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • NNS Spotlight
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
    • Submit a Story
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
    • NNS WGLB 1560 Radio
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • News 414
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University


Language: English English Spanish Spanish

You are here: Home / "How To" articles / How to make healthy lunch boxes

How to make healthy lunch boxes

August 30, 2017 by Dr. Michelle Graham, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Leave a Comment

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin


A fun, healthy lunch or after-school snack — including a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins — doesn’t have to be time-consuming, stressful or more costly to put together. Have your child help in planning and packing their meals. When kids are involved, they are more likely to enjoy the foods they select.

Consider these tips to packing a healthy, tasty lunch.

Switch to whole grains. While shopping, look for 100 percent whole-grain bread for sandwiches, 100 percent whole-grain tortillas for wraps, and whole-grain crackers. Other examples include quinoa and brown rice. Whole grains have more vitamins, minerals and fiber, and they will keep kids satisfied longer.

Pack the protein. Foods with protein may help kids stay full and focused. Make sure each lunch has a good source of protein, such as hard-boiled eggs, beans, nuts, nut butter, tuna, salmon, rotisserie chicken, edamame or yogurt. Skip deli meats like salami and bologna, which are higher in fat, sodium and preservatives.

Make it colorful. Adding colorful fruits and vegetables can make a lunch look more appetizing, and these foods are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber. Spice up vegetables with a little bit of guacamole, hummus, salsa or low-fat ranch dressing to add flavor and fun.

Keep them hydrated. Hydration is particularly important for children, as they have higher water requirements than adults do. Besides water, more fun options include smoothies and low-fat milk. Skip the juice and soda.

Add a small, sweet treat. Kids love treats, and adding something small to their lunches gives them something to look forward to. Portion size is key. Aim for less than eight to 10 grams of sugar per serving. Examples include chocolates that are at least 70 percent pure cocoa chocolate and natural fruit smoothies with plain Greek yogurt and almond milk.

Minimize junk food. Foods such as chips, fruit snacks and candy have little nutritional value. Replace these foods with items such as cheese, whole-grain crackers and plain popcorn sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

A healthy lunch can be a great way to fuel your child’s body and mind for the remainder of the school day, but for a busy family, preparing lunches also needs to be fast, effortless and affordable.

One great way to save time during the week is to prep lunch and after-school snack foods over the weekend. Buy, cut and portion out fruits and vegetables so they’re ready to go. Shred chicken, cook hard-boiled eggs, or use leftovers that don’t take much preparation. Pre-package foods such as crackers, cheese cubes or trail mix into baggies or containers that can quickly be added to a lunch bag.

Get the school year started off right with a healthy, easy lunch and after-school snack routine that is both parent — and kid — approved.

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Filed Under: "How To" articles

About Dr. Michelle Graham, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Recent News

UPDATE: Housing leaders say rental assistance funds are still available for Milwaukee County residents

5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 27

These students don’t have to miss school to see the doctor. They can just go down the hall.

Advertisement
Give today to support our mission. Donate to Milwaukee NNS.
Advertisement

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • NNS Spotlight
  • Special Reports

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story

About NNS

  • Milwaukee NNS Staff
  • Partners
  • News414
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Careers
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494


Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2020 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in