Make sure you have healthy options available for your family to pack for school! It is important that all children reach their daily recommended number of servings for all food groups. An easy way to create a balanced packed lunch is to follow MyPlate. It is important that packed school lunches offer just as much nutrition as meals served at home and offering foods from all of the food groups helps your child develop and learn. Following MyPlate, you can see that packed lunches should have servings of fruit, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, and a protein source. Your child can also purchase a serving of milk from their school’s cafeteria. Finally, offer healthier snacks like pretzels, yogurt-covered raisins, popcorn, trail mix, and whole grain crackers with peanut butter.
Build your own school lunch by choosing a 1 item from each food group below!
Fruit – Apple slices, grapes, berries, banana, applesauce
Vegetables – Cucumber slices, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, celery sticks (pair with hummus, peanut butter, or ranch dip!)
Dairy – Milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese
Grains – Whole wheat bread, granola, whole grain bagel, whole wheat tortilla, whole grain pasta
Protein – Sliced turkey sandwich, ham & cheese rollups, hard-boiled eggs, tuna-salad sandwich, smashed chickpea and avocado wrap
-Jacob Elfmann, SDSU Dietetic Intern