What’s the Best Way to Pack School Lunch?
For kids, back to school means fresh school clothes, new backpacks and unfamiliar teachers. But for many parents, it also means finding a way to pack lunches that are both kid-approved and nutritious. Nutrition plays an essential role in helping kids succeed at school. When they’re hungry, children find it difficult to concentrate. But the lunches they often ask for — loaded with added sugars and lacking protein and fiber — can rob them of energy and the ability to focus on the task at hand: learning. What’s a parent to do?
“Instead of worrying about what not to pack in their children’s lunches, I encourage parents to focus on variety and balance,” said Sara Parrish, a wellness dietitian who provides nutrition counseling and wellness programming at the Novant Health Jack Barto Team Member Fitness Center. “That ensures kids get the nutrients they needto succeed at school, while still enjoying some of their favorite ‘fun’ foods.”
Recently, we talked with Parrish — who practices what she preaches when filling her own children’s lunch boxes — about the ins and outs of packing healthy lunches for kids (and adults, too). Keep reading for her favorite tips and a lunchbox formula that makes planning simple.
Excerpted from Novant Health
