Making an Easy Lunch Healthy
Editor’s note: Let’s welcome Chris Arpante to the Kids Cuisine team! 
Although the school year is wrapping up (here, anyway), it’s never too late to bring attention to childhood obesity and what kids eat. I have always had issues with school lunches, even growing up. However, I was fortunate to have my mom pack my lunches, which allowed me avoid a pizza and tater tots carbo load.
As a school administrator, not only have I noticed a significant increase in larger, overweight children, but lunch duty has been an eye-opening experience. Kids today have eating habits that are so different than when I grew up. Now, I really see what kids are choosing. A school with which approximately 85% of its population qualifies for free and reduced lunch, there are not many lunch bags that travel to the cafeteria in my building. Even so, taking income out of the picture, the numbers of “extras” that are purchased is maddening, from Hot Cheetos and Chips, to cookies and ice cream. What parents/caregivers don’t realize that it’s just as costly to eat at school as it is from home. A school account can run as much as $55+ dollars/month per child. Making a healthy, properly portioned sandwich, with an appropriate snack can cost the same amount. Can you imagine the cost of more than one child, and how much food can be purchased for that same amount?
Why do I think it’s that easy? This school year has been different from years past and it has been the first year I have eaten the school lunch as often as I have. I believe, while not the sole reason, my eating incorrectly at work/school has contributed to my recent weight gain. But, as I work on a budget, I still do try to make a conscious effort to bring healthy eats to work. An example? How about a turkey cheese wrap with lettuce (or cabbage mix for that added crunch)? And, to make it healthier, replace the mayonnaise with reduced fat ranch dressing.
Check out the links below for school lunch tips and assistance. Whether at school, summer camp, field trips, or on family road trips, it is possible to make it work. Because, in the grand scheme of things, what do we have without our health?
Tips for Preparing Fast, Healthy and Inexpensive School (and Preschool) Lunches
[…] In the spring, I wrote about how easy it is to wrap up a healthy lunch that will energize any child. But, what about snacks? Whether your child is attending elementary school where snack time is often built into the schedule, or a tween whose fast metabolism prompts the need to eat little portions several times per day, or a young adult who needs a pick-me-up before afternoon activities, it’s important to have handy, healthy noshes on had for the quick grab. […]