It’s that magical time of year when everything else in your life stops cold and your sole focus each morning is getting the kids ready and off to school. The back-to-school challenges are many, but this entry tackles one for you and with the expert advice of registered dietitian Tina Shepard: The School Lunch.
If your kids buy lunch at school, follow this easy 3-step plan for helping them make healthy choices:
- First, review the school lunch menu with your kids to pick the meal that best features a good grain (e.g., brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc.) and protein.
- Second, explain that beverage choices are just as important as food choices! Milk is the best choice because it’s packed with 9 essential nutrients and studies show that kids who drink either white or flavored milk have better overall nutrient intake than kids who don’t.
- Third, encourage your children to add color to their plate with healthy fruits or veggies from the optional salad bar.
These same strategies apply to moms who pack lunch. Here’s Tina’s recipe for the perfect packed lunch:
- Turkey Ranch roll-ups: Layer ranch dressing, turkey, spinach and cheese on wheat wrap, roll and cut in half for easy packing
- Fresh fruit and veggies
- Shamrock Farms milk (on-the-go or poured into a temperature-controlled thermos)
