Healthy school lunches and snacks
While most adults eat lunch on the run and don’t really pay much attention to details, preparing healthy school lunches or snacks for your child should not be part of the same routine.
A vast majority of kids come under the category of fussy eaters. Therefore, making an exciting presentation of meals will be a step towards getting them to actually eat it.
Tips on 'happy-eating'
Presentation, variety and color are important elements in ensuring 'happy-eating' besides the healthy food content, of course.
Separating foods into colorful compartments is a good idea too.
Choosing healthy foods that are not messy will allow your child to be a neat eater. This is important both for their self-esteem and will also help the teacher in looking after your child during lunch hour.
10 guidelines for healthy cooking
Parents always need a nudge in the right direction when it comes to healthy school lunches and snacks, since it can be a little overwhelming. The following are some guidelines that you could follow to ensure your healthy school lunches and snacks are well received by your little ones:
- Lunch boxes made up of a fruit selection, a favorite sandwich and a simple sweet dessert are a good combination to prepare.
- If your child enjoys eating cold pasta, then a portion of pasta done in his/her favorite sauce, a few sticks of baby carrots and a fruit should do the trick. For dessert, a healthy chocolate muffin will be a welcomed surprise.
- Pretzels can be quite healthy if they are used to skewer slices of ham, turkey and cheese as the main lunch meal. Slices of your child’s favorite fruit can be added into the lunch box too. Some fat free pudding for dessert is an ideal choice to make for your child.
- A couple of hard-boiled eggs and a whole grain waffle or two would make an ideal main course for your child’s lunch. This can be followed with a combination of dried fruits and a slice of banana bread for dessert.
- Mini burgers are usually a hit with kids and if your child enjoys this, then using it as the main item for lunch will keep him/her happy. Some cuts of pineapple and a few oatmeal cookies can be added to the lunch box to complete the healthy meal.
- Ideally, snacks should come in attractive and uncomplicated forms, therefore giving your child a bowl of healthy sesame sticks, chopped nut bars combined with raisins and sultanas will definitely keep your child content until the main mealtime.
- Potato chips salted or flavored are a popular snack, but unfortunately they are also unhealthy. Preparing your child a bowl of pita chips, soy nuts and mini chocolate chips would be a better alternative.
- Pretzels have always gotten a bad rap, but a bowl of unsalted and unsweetened pretzels would go well with some cashews and dried cranberries.
- Dried papaya, guava or mango mixed into a bowl of whole grain cereal and some raisins or sultanas would make a healthy snack for your child.
- Although not totally healthy or certainly not recommended to be given frequently, giving your child occasionally as a special treat, you could fix your child a bowl of almonds, M&Ms and dried fruits
Did these tips on 10 healthy school lunches and snacks help? Do you have any recipes of your own to share with us? We'd love to hear from you!
For more ideas after reading our 10 healthy school lunches and snacks, watch this video of a mom cooking with her kids:
Also read: The hidden sugar in these ‘healthy’ kids’ snacks: Be informed
Republished with permission from theAsianParent Singapore