School lunches packed with nutrition — and fun

Once upon a time, school lunch meant a slapped-together peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, an apple and a few cookies crammed in a brown paper bag.

Not anymore. Now, when the lunch bell rings, kids dig into chicken-noodle soup, pasta and sushi, carefully packed in insulated boxes and bags.

Not that there's anything wrong with the classic sandwich-fruit-dessert combo, but today's active kids need nutrition-packed food to get them through busy school days. (Besides, if your kid is one of many with food allergies — or attends a nut-free school — you can forget the standard PB&J.)

Even for parents with the best of intentions, the daily routine of packing a lunch can be a bit of a chore after a few months, not to mention a few years (and a few kids).

So we scoured the Internet, asked a few experts and came up with some tips to make brown-bagging more satisfying for kids, and the adults who feed them.

Sandwich savvy

If you think lunch isn't lunch unless there's a sandwich involved, time to rethink what you're putting between two slices of bread. (In fact, time to rethink the two slices of bread altogether.) Deanna F. Cook, director of creative development for Family Fun and Wonder Time magazines, shared some of her family's ideas, and tips she's heard from Family Fun readers:

• Cream cheese with slices of cucumber, or cream cheese with tomato slices and fresh chives, wrapped in a tortilla. (An insulated cold pack will keep the cream cheese fresh until lunchtime.)

• Chicken salad, spruced up with sliced almonds or halved grapes.

• BLT on whole-grain bread. Bacon may not seem like healthful lunchtime fare, but if it gets a kid to eat veggies and whole grains, go for it.

• Bagel sandwiches, turned into funny faces with strategically arranged vegetables.

• Pita stuffed with hummus.

• "Sandwich on a stick" — chunks of meat, cheese and veggies, threaded kabob-style on a drinking straw.

• Peanut butter with jelly or honey. For allergy-free kids, the old classic is still a good choice. Use a shaped cookie cutter to up the fun factor.

• Assemble-your-own subs. Sometimes, the novelty of arranging meat, cheese and condiments on a roll is enough to get a child to eat it. Plus, it's less work for you.

Small bite: Just because you don't love the idea of cold pizza doesn't mean your kid doesn't. Don't get trapped by the convention of hot food vs. cold food.

Superfoods for super kids

Kids need lots of fuel to get through long, busy school days. And because lunch is their major chance to refuel, it's a good idea to send foods that pack a serious nutritional punch.

Family Fun's Cook notes that lunch periods are short at most schools, and because lunch often is combined with recess, kids are in a hurry to eat so they can hit the playground. She advocates packing lots of small containers of food, rather than always trying to plan the meal around a "main dish."

Some suggestions:

• Blueberries, a good source of antioxidants. Serve them plain or in muffins.

• Low-sugar yogurt, to boost kid's digestive and immune systems. Because so many varieties contain lots of sugar, Cook suggests plain yogurt mixed with honey.

• Nuts and nut butters, for calcium and protein. (Even if your kid doesn't have food allergies, be sure to check on the school's nut policy.)

• Orange vegetables and citrus fruits, which are great sources of vitamin C.

• Black beans, chickpeas or other beans, for protein and iron. If your kid balks at a bowl of plain beans, try hummus or bean dip or add the beans to a cheese quesadilla.

• Pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Mix some with nuts and throw in a few chocolate chips or M&Ms for a kid-friendly nutrition-loaded trail mix.

• Whole-grain bread, for the complex carbohydrates. If your kid turns up his nose at grainy bread, try a few brands to find one he approves. Some companies now make whole-grain bread that masquerades as plain-old white.

• Turkey, which is high in protein and relatively low in fat.

Small bite: If you're worried that your kid is throwing out most of his lunch in the cafeteria, try getting him involved in making it, Cook says. Ask him questions about what he likes best and what other kids eat that looks good. Then have him help with the shopping and planning.

Better buying

Schools are adding healthier options to their cafeteria menus, though for a young child, choosing the best options can be tough. Whether your kid buys lunch every day or just occasionally, pediatrician and KidsHealth.org medical editor Dr. Mary Gavin suggests urging him to:

• Choose whole-grain bread for sandwiches and skip high-fat, high-calorie condiments like mayonnaise.

• Choose burgers (plain, with lettuce and tomato and without high-fat toppings) instead of hot dogs or chicken nuggets.

• Eat at least one vegetable or a salad (and go easy on the dressing).

• Drink water or low-fat milk.

Small bite: Save small condiment packets from restaurants and take-out meals — kids love the novelty of tiny things.

Sweet treats

Gavin and Cook both say it's OK to include something sweet in your kid's lunch, as long as you choose wisely. Their tips:

• From-scratch muffins, cookies, bars and snack cakes are good choices because you know what goes into them, and can choose healthier recipes. When possible, make healthful substitutions, like whole-wheat flour.

• Pack fruit slices with peanut butter or low-fat yogurt for dipping. Low-fat pudding is also a good choice.

• Watch portion sizes. If you're packing a store-bought treat, check the fat and calorie content and consider splitting portions, Gavin says. (One cupcake in a two-cake pack is probably plenty, for example.)

• For a treat that's small but novel and fun, Cook suggests packing a "raw" s'more — a graham cracker, a marshmallow and a Hershey's kiss.