Guest Author - Vanette (Vannie) Ryanes

As a parent, it can be frustrating to have your child come home with an uneaten lunch, or find out it’s been traded with a schoolmate.



To ensure your child eats what you pack, try some of these tactics:

• Plan ahead for the week and add the items to your regular shopping list. Ask your child for suggestions.
  
  
• Choose a variety of foods from the major food groups: whole wheat bread, cut raw veggies, sliced fruit, and string cheese.
  
  
• One or two cookies make a fine dessert, as do low-fat pudding and sugar-free Jell-O. An active child needs some extra energy to get through the day.
  
  
• Provide milk money, or put some milk in a small Thermos.
  
  
• When including perishable foods, use a freezable cold pack. A frozen bottle of water or juice will work. Your child can drink the thawed juice. Read the recent University study about reusing plastic water bottles
  
  
• Don’t forget the value of attractive packaging. Decorate the bag with stickers, use holiday-themed napkins or include notes with jokes, cartoons or special messages
  

Adapted in part from The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)


Lunch Bags - Introduce Your Little One To Gently Spiced Foods

*Mild salsa with toasted pita points.

*A baggie with 2 or 3 small cheeze blocks would be good with the salsa.

*Grapes plucked from the stems with little squares of cheese pretty much guarantees your kid will enjoy this treat.

*Include green red and yellow pepper slices with carrot sticks. These colorful veggies make it easy to get kids to eat them.

*Spicy meat loaf thinly sliced on crustless wheat bread cut into 4 hand (small hands) sized sandwiches. If your child enjoys pickles put a pickle round on the meat loaf.

Insure that your children that your children have healthy snacks in school and at home.