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Food

Pack A Healthier Lunch For School

Posted 9/21/2011

Focus on plant foods. Think veggies, fruits, whole grains, beans and legumes.

(NAPSI)—With children back at school, it’s time to think about packing a healthy, nutritious lunchbox. Following the USDA’s new “MyPlate” guide to healthier eating, ideally, half of the lunchbox should be fruits and vegetables, with the other half split between protein and whole grains.

Here are some tips to help pack a nutrient-dense lunchbox from culinary and nutrition experts at Whole Foods Market, the natural and organic grocer that has launched its Health Starts Here™ program to help families find healthy food choices.

• Use fresh-sliced or dried pureed fruits instead of sweetened jelly—sliced apples, bananas and strawberries offer great nutrition and taste great paired with nut butters.

• Substitute avocado or hummus for mayo—avocado offers healthy fats naturally plus provides a creamy spread for sandwiches. Hummus provides protein.

• Add lots of fresh veggies—they pack more nutrients per calorie. The more color, the better.

• Use almond butter instead of peanut butter—it adds more protein with a twist to your sandwich.

• Always use whole grain breads or tortillas—wraps are a fun change of pace, especially when packed with veggies.

• Replace iceberg lettuce with dark, leafy greens like spinach or arugula as they pack more nutrients per bite.

• For crunch, add a homemade trail mix with dried fruits and raw nuts—a fun snack the kids will love.

Take a look at Whole Foods Market’s “lunchbox makeovers” and snacks that fuel the body and brain.

Nutrient-Dense Lunch Ideas:

• Instead of a PB&J sandwich, chips, cookies and chocolate milk...

• Try a whole wheat tortilla wrap with almond or peanut butter, sliced strawberries and fruit-sweetened jelly, carrot sticks or sugar snap peas, homemade trail mix, and a bottle of water.

• Instead of mac & cheese, cheese puffs, applesauce and soda...

• Try hummus served with veggies and whole wheat pita, unsweetened applesauce or in-season fresh-cut fruit, and almond or soy milk.

For more information and resources on healthy eating, visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com.

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