The most important thing to remember when packing your child’s lunch is that you pull from all the groups of the food pyramid. Using sweet sparingly! Kids want to be macho at school and have the best lunch out there, so consider using alternative nut butters and low sugar jelly to provide your child with a peanut butter and jelly type sandwich, you should pack carrot or celery sticks, grain chips, juice or milk and a sweet snack, like a cookie or a fruit roll up.

Some kids like deli style meats and cheeses, which is okay for them, they need the extra calories some days, especially when they have physical education! Using smart meats that are low in sodium and fat is a good idea. Specifically, you can purchase fresh deli sliced meats at your local deli counter in the grocery. Pre-packaged meats are super high in fat and sodium. Bread that has little to no preservatives is another excellent choice. Raw vegetables should always accompany your children’s lunches even though they may not have time to eat everything in their sack, they will be able to see that fresh veggies are available. Apples make the best type of fruit to send to school. Apples are sweet and easy to eat, you as their parent can give older children an uncut apple, younger children up to four slices in a baggie and so on.

Depending on how old your kids are, and what their temperaments may be will help you determine what is exactly best for their lunches. Suggestions from the FDA include grains, proteins, veggies, fruit and oils. Grains are the biggest group on the food pyramid start with breakfast and move to lunch and finally dinner. No matter how much you think you have done for your child’s lunch, its super important to remember.