Tips for Healthy Packed Lunches

Many of us are trying to eat healthier these days.  One thing that comes to mind is finding clever ways to pack lunches for ourselves and our family.  Traditionally, many of us may think about sandwiches as our go to food, but there are many more ways to create a healthy meal.  That means a makeover is needed!

It just so happens that Tufts' Friedman School published a study that focused on packed lunches at elementary schools in eastern Massachusetts.  What they found was not entirely surprising.  It turns out that 27% of packed lunches met at least 3 of the 5 food group standards followed by the National School Lunch Program.  Here are those standards: 1) serving of fruit (excluding juice), 2) vegetables, 3) grains, 4) meat/meat alternatives and 5) fluid milk.  The researches also discovered that only 11% of those lunches contained vegetables, 17% contained dairy foods, and 34% contained fruit - not great numbers! 

That means children are not eating very healthy lunches.  Often, kids are eating prepackaged snack foods like chips and puffed snacks, along with sugar sweetened beverages such as fruit punch and sports drinks, prepackaged lunch combinations consisting of salty processed meats and crackers, and desserts.  There is not much nutrition from these foods for these growing bodies.

We as adults are not doing much better.  The Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee noted that the current eating patterns in this country are low in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy dairy foods.  On the flip side, our diets are too high in refined grains, added sugars and sodium.

To help change our habits here are some ideas for nutritious packing.

• Choose healthy proteins - Try strips of baked chicken breast without the skin, canned salmon or tuna, cheese, nuts, and nut/seed butters (check school policy on peanuts), hardboiled eggs, beans and tofu.
• Choose whole grains - Try whole grain pastas, breads, and crackers.
• Always include vegetables - You can cut up almost any vegetable and pack it alongside a healthy dip like hummus.
• Think of fruit as your dessert - Pack pre-cut pears and apples.  To avoid browning add a few drops of lemon juice.
• Skip sugar-sweetened drinks - Avoid soda, fruit drinks, sweetened teas and sports drinks.  Pack water instead.

Looking for more ideas?  Here are some ideas that work for kids and adults.  Just pick one item from each category and you have made a meal!

Main Dish (Whole Grains & Protein) -

Whole grain wrap with turkey, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds

Black bean taco salad with salsa and whole grain tortilla chips

Whole grain pita with tuna salad and leafy greens

Small whole grain bagel spread with egg salad and sprinkled with dill

Whole grain pasta salad with shredded chicken breast and roasted vegetables

Vegetables -

Sliced cucumbers and cauliflower florets with hummus dip

Baby carrots and halved cherry tomatoes

Bell pepper strips with guacamole dip

Sugar snap peas and tzatziki sauce

Kale chips or crunchy freeze-dried peans

Fruits -

Pineapple fresh or frozen

Kiwifruit, sliced or halved

Fresh or frozen berries

Fresh or frozen mango cubes or peach slices

East-peel mandarin oranges or clementines

Dairy -

Cottage cheese

Shredded cheddar cheese (top a dish)

Plain yogurt to mix with fruit

Sliced cheese

Mozzarella cheese stick

Reference: Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts' University, October 2017, VOL 35, NO 8, Better Brown-Bag Lunches (p.7).