Saturday, September 12, 2009

Healthy Lunch Box Ideas for Kids

Packing your Connect Adsl a nutritious lunch is as easy as going to your pantry and refrigerator. Lots of good ideas are just waiting to be discovered. From bread to carrot sticks and granola bars to pudding, there is bound to be some sort of combination to make a good, healthy lunch enjoyable to your child.

All children have different tastes and preferences. Knowing your child's likes and dislikes regarding each food group is a must. A meat item such as turkey cheap hotel chicken breast is fantastic. It doesn't matter if your child likes it on a sandwich; many children will eat it plain rather than on a sandwich. Peanut butter is a streamyx combo deal source of protein and folic acid. Add some jelly for a child that has a sweet tooth. Sometimes that sweetness will satisfy your child's want for a rich dessert.

Children generally prefer white bread, and it will not hurt them to eat it. Toast Internet Tutorial bread, too. Try substituting a very mild wheat bread or even wheat crackers. Children like to make their own little sandwiches using crackers, cheeses, and sandwich meats. The peanut butter on wheat crackers is an excellent idea as well.

Most children prefer cheese on their sandwiches, Italkcom add a slice of real American or Kraft Deluxe Sharp Cheddar. As you introduce new foods at home, keep in mind the different kinds of cheeses like Monterrey Jack, Colby, Swiss, Mozzarella, and Provolone. According to your child's preferences, pack several slices of cheese for a serving of dairy along with a peanut butter sandwich. If your child does not like cheese, try a yogurt of your child's preference.

Know the kinds of vegetables that your child will eat. Carrot and celery sticks are a widely used snack. Also try raisins, apple slices, orange slices, banana halves, and even pickles. Though prepackaged fruit servings are sold in grocery stores, it is often better and more nutritional to cut the fruit and vegetables yourself. Don't be afraid to pack nontraditional fruits such as watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, business dsl internet access pineapple, and kiwi slices. With such yummy things to eat, your child's lunch Broadband Laptop be subject to a bit of envy from other children and even teachers.

Other ideas include dry cereal like Cheerios or Chex, peanuts, granola bars, or baked chips. These serve as the "chips" part of a packed lunch. Check the nutritional content of the packages before you decide which types of "chips" to pack. Make your own Chex mix with pretzels, Cheez-Its, yogurt raisins, Cheerios, peanuts, dried cranberries, banana chips, etc. There are so many possible combinations. Add some M&Ms to the mix and alleviate the need for a dessert.

If your child insists on a dessert, pack the lunch accordingly and leave room for a sweet treat. Pudding can be either low-fat or nonfat. Jello is a great dessert for children that like fruity tastes. Pack a homemade oatmeal cookie or two or a couple of Hershey kisses. A handful of chocolate chips or M&Ms is the perfect amount for a child that has eaten a healthy lunch. If your child likes cacao or very dark chocolate, pack a couple of squares knowing that the sugar content is greatly reduced than that of milk chocolate. The antioxidants in cacao are a plus.

Many parents tend not to pack a healthy drink for their child, yet it is something that needs just as much consideration. Anything containing high fructose corn syrup as the main or one of the main ingredients should be tossed out the window. Orange juice and homemade lemonade are good choices if your child does not like milk. Nonetheless, reduced fat white milk is probably the best nutritional drink. Chocolate milk contains the same amount of nutrition as white milk and can be used to minimize your child's desire for dessert items. Water is a wonderful way to replenish your child's thirst, too.

Ask for your child's imput as to how much they will eat. Some parents tend to over pack a lunch being afraid that their child will be hungry. The child will then return home having only eaten half of what was packed, and this can frustrate the parent. Remember that children don't need as many calories as adults do in a day.

There is no right or wrong way to pack a nutritious lunch for your child,

and there are so many different ways to incorporate healthy foods into your child's diet. The keys are to know what your child will eat and to make packing a lunch as simple as possible using common foods that you already have at home.

More articles can be found at my website. I invite you to read them and submit your own ideas as well. Thanks so much for your interest!

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