Newswise — It's only the third day of school, and your son already is complaining that the peanut butter and jelly sandwich you are sending for lunch is boring.
Blend a bit of creativity with a little planning and showmanship and you'll whip up a lunch that has every kid at the table begging to trade for what your son has, says Marjorie Sawicki, a registered dietitian and assistant professor of dietetics at Saint Louis University.
The first step in creating sure-to-please lunches is to ask your child what he wants.
"One trick that works is to have your child take part in the decision-making process," Sawicki says. "Allow him to select from many healthy options and let him prepare lunch. Being involved gives him a sense of ownership of the meal, which means he'll be less likely to trade it away."
What if he wants to pack a sack of chips, a bag of cookies and a soda?
"Use the food pyramid to guide you on what to include," she says. "Ideally lunch should include a fruit, a vegetable, a serving from the meat group, a serving from the milk group and one or two servings of grains. "
It's not as difficult as it sounds.
"Start with a low-fat turkey sandwich with a slice of lettuce and tomato on whole wheat bread. Add an apple and some low-fat chocolate milk, and you've created a nutritious lunch that would pass muster with many children and their nutrition-conscious parents," Sawicki says.
Some children are picky eaters who will eat foods that are green only if they're mint chip ice cream and think catsup is the perfect vegetable. Sawicki has these ideas:
· Substitute dried fruit chips, pretzels and popcorn for potato chips.
· Thread broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini and cauliflower on a straw to make veggie kabobs. Send ranch dressing, to be used as a dip.
· Cube fruits, which can be dipped in fruit flavored yogurt. Send bananas, pears, pineapple chunks, frozen grapes and single-serve containers of applesauce.
· Pack a pita pocket with peanut butter or another favorite filling.
· Make a tortilla pizza, rolling spaghetti sauce, cheese and low-fat pepperoni inside a shell.
· Read Nutrition Fact labels so you can choose healthier food choices that are lower in fat, sodium and sugar. Select chicken, turkey, lean ham, low-fat lunchmeat and tuna packed in water, which are rich in protein.
· Use an ice pack to keep cold foods cold or pack perishable foods next to a frozen juice box that will thaw in time for lunch. Get an insulated lunch bag to keep everything the right temperature.
· Select a beverage that is 100 percent juice. Juice drinks, which are mostly sugar and water, don't contain many nutrients. Another drink option: 1 percent or fat-free milk - or money to buy it.
· Keep portions small. Little bellies fill quickly, so limit portions to a half cup or less.
· Remember the sizzle. Make the lunch look appealing. Dig through that drawer to find cookie cutters to turn sandwiches into seasonal shapes. Toss in a special note written on a napkin from Mom or Dad.
"Be creative and on the look-out for new ideas that are fun and healthy. If you start to notice your child coming home with an empty lunch box and a full tummy, you'll know you're on the right track," Sawicki says.
Long a leader in health professions education, Saint Louis University began its first allied health baccalaureate degree program in 1929. Today the Edward and Margaret Doisy School of Allied Health Professions offers degrees in clinical laboratory sciences, health information management, nuclear medicine technology, nutrition and dietetics, occupational therapy, physical therapy and a physician assistant program.
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