Building a Balanced Lunch Box September 13, 2022 General It’s that time again: BACK TO SCHOOL time that is! You can expect that most parents are busy filling their children's backpacks with all the proper supplies needed to be successful in the classroom. But how many parents have given much thought to the food going inside your child’s lunchbox? Having a balanced lunchbox is one way to help your child to be successful in school each day. Studies have shown that balanced nutrition can have a positive impact on your student’s behavior at school as well as their academic performance. So, what does balanced nutrition mean? Well, having a balanced diet means it contains the proper food types, servings and portions from each food group daily. This way of eating provides proper nutrition and energy for healthy growth and development as well as disease prevention, weight control, and better sleep. Let’s take a look at how you can Build a Balanced Lunchbox using MyPlate as a guide Example #1: ½ sandwich: On whole wheat bread (grain) Oven roasted turkey breast (protein) Low fat or thinly sliced cheese (dairy) Lettuce & tomato (vegetable) Apple or other fruit (fruit) Carrots & celery (vegetable) with hummus dip or peanut butter (healthy fat) Example #2: Mini pizza: On whole wheat english muffin (grain) Marinara sauce sprinkled with shredded mozzarella cheese (dairy) Veg toppings of choice: sweet peppers, tomatoes, basil, onion, mushroom, pineapple (vegetable/fruit) Topped with diced ham, mini pepperonis, or chicken breast (protein) Makes 2 pizzas, can be eaten cold like a “Lunchable” pizza or heated. Orange, pear, grapes, or cucumber slices as an additional side. Example #3: Cheese and Crackers: 8 Whole grain crackers (grain) 2 Low fat cheese slices (dairy) Boiled egg cut in half (protein) 1oz nuts such as almonds or cashews (protein & healthy fat) Carrots with light ranch (vegetable) Banana (fruit) Comments are closed.