School Lunch Advice For Kids Of All Ages

Try the tips below to make your child's lunch healthy and worth looking forward to.

For home-packed lunches:

• Avoid the morning rush by preparing lunch the night before and chilling it in the refrigerator.
• Put slices of tomatoes in a separate bag or container so they don't make sandwiches soggy.
• Instead of potato or corn chips, pack a healthier alternative like veggie chips, bagel rounds, or baked tortilla crisps.
• Round out the meal with kid-sized veggies - baby carrots, celery sticks, or broccoli florets - and a low-fat or fat-free dip.
• Low-fat, high fiber mini muffins make a great dessert alternative to cupcakes or high-fat cookies.
• Use a cookie cutter to transform a plain square sandwich into something unique.
• Turn a container of low-fat yogurt into a complete meal by sending along some stir-ins like granola, trail mix, unsalted chopped nuts, or whole grain cereal.
• Consider alternatives to sandwich bread like burger buns, pita rounds, soft tortillas, and large lettuce leaves (for a no-sog wrap for savory fillings).

For school cafeteria lunches:

• Look over the cafeteria menu with your child ahead of time. Try to agree on items your child likes and that are healthy.
• Early in the school year, try to arrange to have lunch with your child at the cafeteria. Use this as an opportunity to model your own healthy food choices.
• Ask the school's parent-teacher group to arrange a presentation by the food service department. Express your interest in ensuring that healthy food choices be offered in school cafeterias and vending machines. 

Advice and tips for safe brown bag lunches

To prevent food-related illness, follow the guidelines below when preparing and packing brown bag lunches.

Watch the temperature. Harmful bacteria grow best between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F, so it's important to keep perishable foods outside this danger zone as much as possible. Foods susceptible to bacterial growth - especially high protein foods like meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and eggs - should never be in the danger zone for more than two hours (one hour in warm weather conditions). Foods destined for the lunch box should be kept in the refrigerator until just before your child leaves for school.

To maintain lunch food at a cool temperature, pack a frozen juice box or water bottle in an insulated lunch bag; you can also use a freezable gel pack. Try to position the coldest item at the top of the bag since cool air settles.

Hot foods are a real challenge in a lunch box. In many cases, it is difficult to maintain a high enough temperature.  If you want to try sending soup or similar foods, do a "dry run" at home some morning. Pre-warm an insulated Thermos container (following the manufacturer's instructions), then fill with the hot food. Seal the container and let it sit until about an hour before your child's lunch time, then open it and measure the temperature of the food. If the food is below 140 degrees F, food may not be safe to eat by lunch time.

Keep it clean. Always wash your hands (and your child's) before preparing food. Wash them again after handling eggs or raw meat so you don't cross contaminate other foods or surfaces. Be sure that utensils, counters, and cutting boards are also clean when you begin. If raw meat or eggs touches a surface, clean it with warm soapy water before allowing another food to come in contact with it.

Be aware of food hazards. Some common lunch foods pose health hazards than you might not expect. Some of the most common include:

• Raw eggs. Uncooked eggs may be contaminated with salmonella. Young children are especially susceptible to this harmful organism, so avoid giving them foods like homemade mayonnaise or uncooked eggnog.
• Peanuts. Children who are allergic to peanuts can have a life-threatening reaction to even microscopic amounts. This is why some schools have banned foods that contain peanuts. Unfortunately, many processed foods contain trace amounts of peanuts, even if they aren't listed on the ingredient label. If your child attends school with a youngster who has a peanut allergy, be sure to pay attention to any guidelines given to you by the school.

Is There Lead in Your Child's Lunch Bag?
In 2005, tests by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission revealed that some soft vinyl lunch carriers contained lead. Though the government insisted that the risk associated with these products is very low, parents have reason to be concerned. Lead is an insidious nerve toxin that can lead to retardation and other health problems. Young children are especially vulnerable to the effects of lead.

Although the Food and Drug Administration has asked manufacturers and suppliers to stop using lead in the lunch carriers, it is possible that these products remain in homes and on store shelves. It is also possible, though not likely, that other types of plastic lunch carriers might have lead in them.

To protect your child, consider taking these safeguards:

• Avoid soft lunch carriers made from vinyl (or PVC).
• Look for carriers from reputable suppliers that are certified as lead free.
• If you have a soft lunch carrier and want to know if it contains lead, pick up a home lead testing kit at a well-stocked hardware store or home center.