Kumara School Lunch Box

Picture this: It's five minutes past your scheduled morning departure time and you realize you haven't made your child's lunch. Agh!! What to put into it? Food marketers know about this time crunch and offer many easy to gather items to pack in a lunch. Unfortunately, these convenience items are not always made of the highest quality or healthiest ingredients. Fortunately though, with a little forethought, better versions of some popular lunch options can be found. As an alternative to Lunchables, supermarkets sell reuseable compartmentalized plastic containers which offer you the option of filling them with healthier, fresher ingredients. All of these suggested options are available at Whole Foods and most of them are available at Lucky, Safeway, and Bell. Some are even at 7-11 for you real last minute people.

• Cold hot dogs with catsup dipping sauce (Look for nitrate/ nitrite free brands such as Health Valley.)
• Grilled "pizza" sandwiches: grilled cheese with the addition of pizza sauce (This idea works well on a tortilla too! Cut into wedge shapes or other fun shapes.)
• Cold boiled potatoes (Cut into wedge shapes with catsup dipping sauce.)
• Tuna fish with crackers children can dip themselves
• Macaroni and cheese with peas mixed in (This is an old favorite with a new twist.)
• Raw or cooked vegetables cut into bite size chunks
• Leftover dinner
• Baked beans
• Warm soup in a thermos
• Sweet potato chunks
• Meat balls

Tip: Kids seem drawn to foods they make themselves, and foods in special shapes or sizes.

Vary breads: try mini pitas, english muffins, crackers, tortillas, and flat breads.

Vary spreads: try salsa, chutney, cranberry sauce, and low fat salad dressings.

Vary fillings: try fish sticks, canned salmon, veggie burgers, humus, and shredded carrots.

Please remember when packing your child's lunch that Kumara School has a "no sugar" policy. There are many reasons for this, but the most practical one is that children will most likely eat the sweet food first, leaving less room for foods that would provide more sustained nutrition throughout their day. Even "no sugar" versions of cookies and muffins may not offer the best variety of nutritional food groups to supply children with the best fuel. Children play actively and long lasting fuel keeps them going.

Fruit Rolls: Look for the 100% fruit version.

Juice Drinks: Experts recommend a maximum of four ounces of juice for preschoolers at meals. The reasoning behind this is that too much juice fills childrens stomachs fast and decreases the appetite for solid foods that will carry the children further through the day. Please choose only 100% juice brands. Capri Sun and other juice drinks are basically colored and flavored sugar water.

Yogurt comes in many varieties. Some novelty brands like "Trix" contain a very high sugar content as well as possibly artificial flavors and colorings. There are brands such as "Pavels" that keep these additions to a minimum or don't use them at all. A tasty substitute for the more heavily sugared brands is to buy a plain or vanilla flavored yoghurt and add some "all fruit" spread.

Jam and Jelly: These are staples in most children's lunches. Layered with plain butter, a nut butter,.or cream cheese they make hearty sandwiches. Try buying an "all fruit " spread sweetened with reduced fruit juice. It's what we use at school and the kids love it.

And for the very last minute lunch from 7-11: Solar Taco, pretzels, milk, and an apple. Although this lunch is not cheap, it is good and fast.

Good luck, and remember to label all reuseable containers!