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Ideas for My High School Kids Lunches

Parents have little control about what and how much their kids eat once they are at school. The lunch meals served at school have to meet federal nutrition guidelines, but whether or not your child will eat the food is up to him. Pizza and French fries are often part of the menu and with school vending machines within reach, kids can end up getting insufficient nutrition. To stimulate your high school-aged child to eat healthier, you can brown-bag a lunch for him to eat at school.

  1. Sandwiches

    • Packing sandwiches is quick and easy and there is a lot of variety from which to choose. You can use different types of bread or whole-wheat wraps. Using different spreads will keep your child from getting bored with his lunches. Two small whole-wheat bagel sandwiches will provide your child with 6 grams of fiber. Add some protein to the bagels in the form of sliced roast beef or turkey and provide calcium by topping them off with reduced-fat cheese. Some tomato slices, romaine lettuce and sprouts can be added to increase the amount of vitamins.

    Leftovers

    • Cold fried rice and pasta are filling options to pack for your child's lunch. Make sure to include plenty of vegetables. If you have fried rice left over from Chinese take-out, it will make a good, cold lunch for your child. You can make your own fried rice by cooking brown rice and tossing it with cooked eggs, shelled edamame, diced peppers and carrots and cubes of lean meat such as chicken. Leftover pasta such as spaghetti can be folded into beaten eggs and baked in a pan to form a frittata. Serve the frittata on foccacia bread.

    Soup And Salad

    • Soup cups are available in your grocery store and are easily made by just adding some hot water. Because they are often high in sodium, you should only pack them for your child once a week or purchase one of the healthy microwave soup varieties that many major brands offer. Look for high-fiber, low-sodium varieties. Add a salad to complete the meal. Toss cobb salad, spinach, hard-boiled egg, lean ham or light cheese in a plastic take-along container. Serving the dressing in a separate container on the side will make the salad stay fresh.

    Snacks

    • Aside from the main meals, your child will need several snacks with his lunches. There is a variety of items you can include. Some ideas include fruit and raw veggies, such as carrot sticks or celery sticks with dip, yogurt, snack bars, cheese sticks and nuts. As a treat you can include something sweet or salty, such as a cookie, brownie or a small bag of potato chips.

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