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LUNCH AND SNACK IDEAS
Greetings
from the Healthy Kids Committee! Our mission is to focus on the
importance of diet and exercise for schoolchildren, and inspire
Carpenter kids and families to make healthy choices at both school
and home. We’ve created a list of tasty, nutritious lunch and
snack-time treats you might want to consider including in your
child’s lunchbox. But first…
WHAT
TO AVOID
Candy of any kind
Super-sugary baked goods
Triple-sized snack bags
32
ounces of anything except water
HEALTHY LUNCH AND SNACK SUGGESTIONS
NOTE:
Check with your teacher to see if there are any serious nut allergies
in your classroom. This may determine some of your food choices.
Fresh fruit kabobs
Whole wheat tortilla roll-ups filled with…
All-fruit spread and light cream cheese
Low-sodium turkey, lettuce and tomato, and favorite condiments
Three-nut” butter – mix together a teaspoon each of cashew, almond and peanut butter, plus a drizzle of honey.
Soup in a thermos
Homemade smoothies (blend 6 oz. of your favorite yogurt with one cup of fruit and store in a thermos)
Unsalted almonds (available in snack packs), pistachios, or cashews
Dried fruits
Carrots or sugar snap peas with guacamole or salsa for dippingAll-natural fruit leathers (avoid the “candy” types that have sugar and corn syrup added)
Celery sticks stuffed with peanut butter or light cream cheese, topped with raisins
Graham crackers
Whole grain cereals like Cheerios or Wheaties
Rice cakes
Popcorn
Pretzels
Baked vs. fried chips of any kindLow-fat, low-sugar granola or cereal bars
Low-fat cheese and whole grain crackers
Low-fat, low-sugar yogurt and yogurt sticks (avoid brands that contain high-fructose corn syrup)
Whole wheat mini bagels with light butter or another healthy topping
Healthy trail mix
Fruit-filled cookies (i.e., Fig Newtons or their all-natural equivalent)
Edamame
Mini pita stuffed with hummus
Apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon or spread with a nut butter
Low-fat cheese curls
Low-fat granola
Mini bran muffinsPita chips
Eager
for more ideas? Check out these books and websites:
Cspinet.org (Center for Science in the Public Interest)
“Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children”, by Ann Cooper
“Brown Bag Success: Making Healthy Lunches Your Kids Won’t Trade”, by Sandra Nissenberg
“The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Food in Kids’ Favorite Meals”, by Missy Chase Lapine
“Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food”, by Jessica Seinfeld
| © 2010 Carpenter
Avenue Elementary School A California Distinguished School  |
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