Hungry for Healthy School Lunch Ideas?

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none of these ideas sound that healthy to me ?! Lots of dairy with animal saturated fat in the cheese and milk.
Banana bread with loads of carbs and sugar.
I think it is sad when these are the healthy options.
What about whole beans and veggie stew? Quinoa with chopped veggies and seeds.
Our kids will eat healthy. It is tasty. It is not such a fight. Just offer this and no unhealthy options and they will adjust. Kids do not starve themselves

Siara of CA 4:56PM September 15, 2011

www.nojunk-goodfood.com

Bente Oestergaard of WA 1:57PM March 24, 2011

Why must our lunch be the worst. It feels like they give us the same food the prisons get. tHE LUNCH IS SO BAD SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL WHAT IT IS AND THE SAD PART ABOUT IT IS KNOW ONES TRYING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT

Jordan of VA 6:35PM September 29, 2010

I agree with Isabel from CA, that high school is the worst at school lunches. Although, I had some greasey pizza in elementary school and junior high before I got to high school. I think it works both ways with packed lunches and school lunches. We as parents should request that our school provide healthier meals for our children, but at the same time we as parents can't pack our childs lunch with Doritos, Lunchables(very high in sodium), and sugary fruit snacks. In high shool they had so many snacks that barely anyone ate the lunch meal during lunchtime. In high school, we had a snack line that gave us Pizza, chips, french fries, pop, juice drinks and candy. So, many of the teens would eat in that line instead of a cafateria meal. Then you had some teens that didn't eat at all and went to McDonald's and Burger King after school. Some students did that

Desi G of OH 9:25AM September 24, 2010

I think this article was great it gave me some great new ways to pack my child's lunch. However, I think children learn eating habits at home first. I think for the most part elementry schools provide healthy lunches but in my opinion its the high shools that provide the opportunity for unhealthy behavioral eating habits to occur. They allow other outside venders like Pizza Hut, Dominoz and vending machines that have sodas and junk food to offer the teenagers. Most of the high schools in my area offer fried foods. It seems we do all this teaching of nutritional eating habits to our children and by the time they are in high school its as if it gets sabotaged with the options they offer and other children (peers) choosing to eat in an unhealthy manner. What can we do about that? Oh well I guess by that time our children should be able to make their own healthy choices and never the mind that they are entering a new school and meeting a lot more children and trying to fit in somehow.

isabel of CA 5:20PM September 21, 2010

Some bag lunches are crap and some school lunches are gourmet. It is not a zero sum game. Most kids do not just eat at school or bring lunches, for most it is a combination of both. In the real world, mom's work. Because my kids have a long day with after-school care they bring a lunch and buy a lunch so that they have plenty of foods for snack time and lunch. Pack vegies, dips and fruit and let them get the milk and meat from school. Not all school lunches are garbage. Our school makes a real effort to offer fresh fruit or leaner choices with turkey and chicken. If your school does not, then it is the parents job to make it happen.
Many kids do not like to take the fresh fruit. I tell my children to take it and if they do not eat it bring it home. We then recycle it back into their lunch as apple slices and yougurt or make orange juice at home. As long as the consume the good stuff it does not matter how or when.

Working Mom of 4 of CA 12:58PM September 21, 2010

I will not believe that kids are getting fat by eating school lunches. I have seen and eaten school lunches. Surprising the kids can even eat them, and many only eat a portion. No, I think what is happening here is, in large part, it is those parents who are ALREADY nutrition-conscious who are sending kids to school with a lunch in tow. Those kids are far more likely to be eating a better all-around diet already. It makes sense that parents who rely on convenience food (translation: high calorie, low nutrition) at home to feed their family will always find it easier to simply pay for school lunch.

Annie of NE 10:43AM September 21, 2010

I know an executive chef who had a business that provided children with gourmet lunches that had all of the essential food groups and met all the nutrition guidelines. The business was great and children could not get enough of the food. However parents never to spread the word of the business and it eventually went under. Parents are the key to nutrition. If they don't preach about it, children will never learn.

Chris of CO 11:07PM September 06, 2010

If you're looking for more ideas, including how each lunch item contributes to your lunch's overall nutrition, see http://www.lunchtaker.com. The ideas are simple, yet the variety you can create is quite broad!

Scott Dawson of NY 8:40AM September 04, 2010

Under the National School Lunch Program, school lunches are required to meet federal nutrition standards limiting portion size and fat (a weekly average of no more than 30% of calories can come from fat and less than 10% from saturated fat). As a result, most schools serve lowfat or skim milk and bake their entrees instead of frying them.
A School Nutrition Association survey has also found that school meals are including more whole grains, vegetarian options, fresh fruit and vegetables, and that schools are reducing the sodium and added sugar in the foods they serve. Get the facts about school meals and find out how to get involved in your school nutrition program by visiting www.traytalk.org.

School Nutrition Association President Nancy Rice, M.Ed., RD, LD, SNS of MD 3:53PM September 01, 2010