The School Lunch Doesn’t Have to Be a Second Job
Back-to-school season brings many familiar routines: earlier alarms, permission slips, missing shoes—and the realization at 7:20 a.m. that someone still needs a lunch.
A healthy lunch doesn’t have to be elaborate. A useful formula is protein + fruit or vegetable + whole grain, with a little dairy or healthy fat if your child likes it. Harvard’s Kid’s Healthy Eating Plate follows essentially the same idea, emphasizing fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy protein.
10 easy lunches
| Lunch | What to pack |
|---|---|
| 1 | Turkey and cheese wrap + cucumber + strawberries |
| 2 | Chicken quesadilla + carrots + orange slices |
| 3 | Hard-boiled egg + whole-grain crackers + cheese + grapes |
| 4 | Hummus + pita + cucumber + berries |
| 5 | Leftover chicken + rice + edamame |
| 6 | Peanut or sunflower butter sandwich + banana + plain yogurt |
| 7 | Turkey-and-cheese roll-ups + crackers + apple slices |
| 8 | Pasta + chicken + peas + fruit |
| 9 | Greek yogurt + berries + low-sugar granola + hard-boiled egg |
| 10 | Last night’s dinner in a thermos: soup, meatballs, chicken or dumplings |
There is no rule saying children need ten different lunches. Find four or five they reliably eat and rotate them.
10 snacks that take almost no preparation
- Apple + peanut or sunflower butter
- Greek yogurt + berries
- String cheese + grapes
- Banana + handful of nuts
- Carrots + hummus
- Hard-boiled egg + fruit
- Edamame
- Popcorn + cheese stick
- Whole-grain crackers + hummus
- Whole-wheat pita + nut or seed butter
Pairing a carbohydrate with protein is a particularly easy way to make a snack more satisfying; Harvard gives similar combinations such as berries with Greek yogurt, vegetables with hummus, and fruit with nuts or seeds.
Five things to do on Sunday
Boil six eggs. They keep well and solve both breakfast and lunch emergencies.
Wash the fruit. Grapes and berries are much more likely to make it into a lunchbox when they’re already clean.
Cut some vegetables. Carrots, cucumbers and bell peppers can cover several days.
Cook extra dinner. If you’re making chicken Monday night, deliberately make enough for Tuesday’s lunch.
Let your kids choose. Give them three acceptable choices rather than asking, “What do you want for lunch?” Children are also more likely to eat a lunch they helped choose or pack.
And don’t worry if the lunch isn’t perfect. A turkey sandwich, apple and cheese stick that gets eaten is more useful than an exquisite quinoa-and-kale lunch that comes home untouched.
At Massage Therapy Center Palo Alto, we believe healthy routines work best when they’re simple enough for real life. And once the kids are back in school, parents deserve a little time to take care of themselves, too.