The key to a healthy lunch box is to provide choices and to deliver a fun presentation!
The Kid's Healthy Eating Plate, created by nutrition experts at the Harvard School of Public Health, is a visual guide to encourage children to eat well and keep moving.
Give Choices
grapes, apple slices, berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), banana slices, melon chunks (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon)
carrot sticks, baby cucumber, bell pepper strips, asparagus spears, summer squash ribbons, grape tomatoes, broccoli
beans, edamame, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, hummus, veggie burger, roasted turkey, chicken slices, hardboiled egg
whole grain pasta, bread, crackers, brown rice, quinoa, steel-cut oats, or other minimally-processed whole grains
water in a fun water bottle (unflavored milk or dairy-free milk if desired)
It's All About the Presentation
Mexican: beans and brown rice, whole grain tortilla chips, homemade guacamole or salsa made with diced tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro
Chinese: chicken strips and broccoli florets served with brown rice and soy dipping sauce
Pizza: whole grain pita or crackers, grape tomatoes, and bell peppers, mozzarella string cheese, chicken slices
Green: edamame, cucumber coins, lettuce rolled in a spinach wrap spread with mashed ripe avocado, sunflower seeds, pistachios
Rainbow: red grape tomatoes, orange hummus, yellow cheese, green cucumbers, bell peppers, blueberries, purple grapes
Cut sandwiches into triangles or smaller squares, use mini cookie cutters to transform apples, watermelon, or cantaloupe into heart or star shapes, use a vegetable peeler to make ribbons of any firm long vegetable
Kabobs: Cut fruits, vegetables, and proteins into cubes or small balls and insert onto a skewer with rounded or blunt edges
Bento boxes: Lunchboxes that contain small divided compartments to keep foods separate and encouraging a variety of foods
