It is 8 PM and time to make the kids’ lunches for tomorrow. It is so tempting to tell them to buy their lunch at school, but that is a tough decision. There are some healthy choices in the school cafeterias, but will your child make one? If you pack their lunches, they probably will eat them and then you know exactly what was in them.

So here are some hints for making school lunch chores easier.

1.       Make a master menu for 4 weeks,  and rotate the weeks.

2.       Buy what you need in bulk; save money and time.

3.       Decide what each lunch will contain. For instance:

a. a drink such as water, Crystal Lite, Jammers

b. a sandwich made with regular or thin bread, fat-free turkey or another healthy meat

and/or low-fat cheese  of    choice

or

a. a container of low-fat yogurt

b.low-fat cheese and crackers,

c. if the school has a micro-wave oven, a container of soup

and

d. a piece of fruit

4.        If children are staying for an extended day,  then include a healthy snack such as low-fat yogurt, another fruit, pretzels, graham crackers, or cut-up vegetables.

Egg and tuna salad made with low-fat mayonnaise are also good lunch choices — but watch portion sizes. These can be sent for lunch with crackers or bread. Peanut butter with no sugar added jelly is still a healthy choice for a sandwich or snack when it is limited to the correct portion size.

Do you really have to include cookies and chips?

At That-A-Weigh Kids, our nutrition plans for kids give you the best food combinations and serving sizes to keep your children fit and trim for healthier lifestyles.