The Lively Lunch Box

Forget peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! Try these creative ideas for wholesome meals that pass the kid taste test.

Kids need to eat healthy food to sustain their focus and energy levels during school days. Here are easy, delicious recipes for lunch boxes that pack a powerful nutritional punch. Fresh fruits and veggies and quality protein will keep your child running strong. Listen for the mmmmmm.

Here are some suggestions for making great lunches for your child.

	Make a lunch-box chart (See sample). If your child is five or older, let him or her help plan and make the chart. Children are more likely to eat the food if they've helped plan the menu. Renew the chart as the seasons change, and post for easy reference.
	Include in the lunch box one "growing food," or source of protein. Choose either a vegetarian protein combination, such as whole grains with beans or nuts, or include some animal protein.
	Always put something fresh, fruit or vegetable, in your child's lunch box. This adds vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Choose organic when possible.
	Although many food companies make convenient, "happy"-looking foods for lunches, remember to read the labels. Avoid giving young bodies foods with additives, preservatives, food coloring, cheap oils, and such non-nutritious sweeteners as corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, Splenda, sucralose, etc.
	If your child's school is open to the idea, consider having Hot Soup Fridays, on which parents, on a rotating basis, bring in enough hot soup and bread for the entire class. This is especially nice on cold days, when warm food can be so satisfying.
	Rather than packing juice, tuck in a small container of fruity herbal tea or sparkling water. This helps to gently discourage children from drinking their meals and discarding the real foods their bodies need.
	For an earth-friendly lunch box, use a bright-colored cloth napkin and silverware instead of wasteful paper and plastic.
	On days when you feel like putting something extra in the lunch box, instead of candy, add a fresh flower, a poem, a neat rock or crystal, a jingle bell, a cartoon, a finger puppet, or a note from you.