Healthy back-to-school lunch tips

Kids across the country are about to head back to school which means parents are about to resume lunch-packing duty. Chances are they aren't looking forward to it, because as much as moms and dads would like to pack a brown bag full of healthy foods their kids will devour each day, it doesn't always work out that way.

More likely, parents are pressed for time during the busy morning rush, and slap together whatever is in the pantry or fridge. Plus a bag of chips.

And even when parents do manage to send their kids to school with a healthy meal, there's no guarantee that they'll eat it especially if all of their friends are munching on pizza, soda and brownies. Whether they turn to the vending machine at school or borrow a few dollars from a friend to buy French fries from the cafeteria, kids will find a way to eat what they want.

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Getting your child to eat right doesn't have to be such a losing battle, however. Experts say parents, by working with their children, planning ahead and being creative, can get their kids to eat and enjoy healthy lunches.

"You can't hit the person over the head with changes right off the bat," says Tosca Reno, author of the new book The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids. "You've got to begin slowly. But kids are smart. Once they see how good they feel, they'll want more."

Worth The Effort

If your child seems to have an aversion to all things healthy, you're not alone. There's no shortage of statistics showing just how much children struggle when it comes to eating right, as well as getting enough physical activity.

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the percentage of overweight children has tripled since the mid-1970s. Among high school students in 2007, the CDC's national Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that nearly 80 per centwere not meeting minimum daily recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake, and 34 per centdrank at least one can, bottle or glass of soda not including diet per day.

But your child's school cafeteria can't take all of the blame. Research out of Ohio State University and Indiana University published in the American Journal of Public Health last year showed that summer vacations, which give kids unrestricted access to food, can cause overweight kids to pack on more pounds than when they are in school.

Get Kids Involved

To tackle your child's lunchtime diet, and potentially get him or her back on track after a weighty summer, you've got to get your child involved in the process, says Michelle Green of JAG Entertainment, the producer and creator of the web-based kids cooking program Jr. Chefs of America. That means taking your children to the grocery store to seek out healthy foods they actually like, welcoming them into the kitchen during meal preparation and generally promoting their natural interest in food.

"Parents may think that they're busy, they don't have the time or their kids aren't capable," Green says. "But actually this is the perfect time when [kids] are young they absorb everything and they're eager."

When it comes to packing school lunches, Green asks her two 10-year-old sons, Jake and Alex, for input, sending them to the pantry and fridge and asking them to pick out what they want to eat the next day. Sometimes that's a salad with tomatoes, light cheddar cheese, bacon bits and dressing. Other days it's a wrap with a side of homemade chips baked and sliced seasoned tortillas. If the kids help pack the kitchen with healthy foods they love, the process shouldn't be as much of a struggle. Instead of mom and dad telling them to eat right, they're choosing to do so themselves.

Kids also tend to get more excited about vegetables and fruits when they see where the produce comes from, Reno says. She suggests taking your child to a local farm stand or farmers market or enlisting them to help take care of a backyard tomato plant or kitchen-counter herb garden.

If your son or daughter still can't help but want what everyone else at school is eating, go ahead and give in. Just be sure to be a little creative and make a healthy version, suggests Cari Coulter, head nutritionist at Wellspring New York, an Adirondacks-based weight-loss camp for young women. Instead of packing a day-old slice of takeout pepperoni pizza, try spreading some vegetable-filled marinara sauce and low-fat cheese on a bagel. You'll save your child fat and calories without making him or her feel too deprived.

'Teaching healthy-eating choices is a lot of work, just like parenting is a lot of work.' Dietician and author Ronni Litz Julien

No one is saying you have to pack a typical lunch, either. A diet of turkey sandwiches on whole-wheat bread with carrot sticks on the side can get old after a while. If you went to the trouble of cooking a healthy meal the night before, such as a light vegetarian lasagna or a grilled chicken breast with brown rice, make a little extra and send your child off with some leftovers.

As you makeover your child's school lunches, there are bound to be some misses. But if you keep working with your child, gathering more information about his or her likes and dislikes, your hits should start to pile up.

"Teaching healthy-eating choices is a lot of work, just like parenting is a lot of work," says Ronni Litz Julien, registered dietitian and author of What Should I Feed My Kids? "You need everybody to work together."