Quick tips for planning healthy school lunches

Planning meals and packing lunches can have its challenges; however there are a few simple tools that can help take the guess work out of healthy eating for you and your family.

The Healthy Plate is one of many tools that can help with planning a healthy meal. Plan for ½ of your plate with vegetables, ¼ of the plate with whole grains, and ¼ with meat or meat alternatives. 

This tool was originally created for adults and youth who plan meals, but it can be adapted for parents planning meals for school-aged children, too.  Aim for a lunch that includes all four food groups with an emphasis on vegetables and fruits.  Involve your children when planning vegetables to include in their lunch. They may enjoy small pieces of raw vegetables with dip or roasted vegetables added to rice packed in a thermos.  For more lunch ideas refer to Lunches to Go handout.  Remember fruits and milk/milk alternatives are important too. Add an apple, yoghurt or cheese strings as a snack to take to school.

It is important that the responsibility for children’s eating be divided between parents and children.  Parents decide what, when, and where food is offered. Children decide whether to eat, and how much food to eat, from what is offered. You can use the healthy plate to plan a meal that is focused on vegetables but children still need to have control to decide whether and how much of the foods they will eat. By sharing the responsibility for eating, children can respond to their hunger and fullness cues and enjoy mealtimes with the whole family. As long as you offer a healthy variety of foods at regular times throughout the day, children generally get the nutrition they need.  For more information about healthy eating, please contact HealthLinkBC at 8-1-1 and speak to a Registered Dietitian.