Even if you’re not heading back to school, you can steal these packable ideas!
By My Fit Foods’ Meg McCall B.S., M.S. Candidate in Human Nutrition, Corporate Nutritionist
It’s back to school time for many of our My Fit Food families this week. Backpacks, school lunch boxes, and grocery store trips are all on the agenda. Local stores are filled as everyone rushes to get school supplies and school clothes before the big first day. As we get back to our school routine, many parents are struggling with how to provide their kids with healthier food choices and how to pack a nutritious lunch that their child will actually eat. The growing concern is for good reason if you are aware of the nation’s health crisis with our children. Better nutrition for kids is on all of our minds—especially us parents.
Over the past three decades, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children ages 2-5 years and adolescents ages 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children ages 6-11 years. Along with the rise in obesity is also the rise in Type II Diabetes which used to be unheard of in young children. Now kids between 10-20 years old represent a very high percentage of the new cases of diabetes being diagnosed.
With the busy lives modern Americans lead, both children and adults are turning to fast food options or cheap processed foods like Lunchables and NutriGrain bars to feed the family. These are the high gylcemic and trans fat-filled foods causing the obesity and chronic disease epidemic in both adults and children alike. As parents, we must begin by modeling the healthy changes. This school year make it a goal to begin replacing the sodas and junk foods with a fridge and pantry full of better options.
Creative packed lunch ideas for you and the family
- Avocado, Turkey and Tomato Sandwich on Sprouted Bread
- Homemade Lunchables (cheese, non-nitrate lunch meat, and Blue Diamond Nut Thin crackers)
- Celery and Organic Natural Peanut Butter
- Healthy Trail Mix
- Baked Corn Chips with Salsa
- Hummus and cut up vegetables
- Cottage Cheese with Fresh Fruit
- Roasted or Raw Nuts (avoid oils added)
- Chobani Greek Yogurt
- OatMega Bars
- My Fit Perfect Fit Protein Cookies
- Cinnamon Apple Sauce (no sugar added)
- Fresh Fruit and Cheese
With nutritious snacks and meals like these, we give our children the building blocks to create healthy brains, bodies, and futures. I hope this list helps get you and the family off to a healthy start for this school year!
Resources: www.cdc.gov
Image: Some rights reserved by Signe Karin