Comments on: Back To School: Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas

By: Harry Fassett

Harry Fassett — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:02:40 +0000

Yep, Greek yogurt is great. Twice the protein or most regular yogurts and tastes much fuller.

By: Erin @ Vie Balance

Erin @ Vie Balance — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:24:15 +0000

I LOVE dried cherries! I use them for trail mixes and oatmeal.

There are also some great recipes out there to make your own granola or muesli bars too that you can make in advance and cut up for lunches.

My son is not school aged yet, but I use a lot of these things for packing my husband’s lunch (healthier for him and saves $)!

By: Greg

Greg — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:48:18 +0000

I’ve become a huge fan of Greek yogurt as well. The straining reduces the sugar content, which has the added benefit of concentration the protein. My kids like it, too.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 06:44:18 +0000

I just cook bigger portions for dinner and we eat the leftovers the next day, or the day after, for lunch. Insulated jars are really great to keep food warm, or cold! They had a quinoa salad in their jar today and fresh cut cantaloupe for dessert. Takes 5 min to prepare, only add the dressing/olive oil at the last moment. They both ate everything and loved how refreshing it was (90 degrees outside today).

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:06:43 +0000

Straining Greek Yogurt in a collander with a dish towel really reduces the lactose sugars. I use this approach to manage my blood glucose successfully when I want to eat yogurt, but even for people without any health challenges, adding back honey to strained yogurt reduces total sugar content lower than processed yogurts.

By: Kat

Kat — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:55:06 +0000

I’m starting college again next Monday and I may be using these tips with my own lunches since Tuesdays and Thursdays I won’t be done until 2:45.

Lori: That’s how my parents brought me up. We had a candy drawer and I can’t even stand the candy we had in that drawer now. Good on you for teaching your kids moderation and not depriving them of the option.

By: Dan H

Dan H — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:49:00 +0000

The original question mentioned sugary yogurts. We started buying one large container of plain yogurt. Each day we fill a small cup with a serving of yogurt & a separate contain with a bit of honey. My daughter loves mixing the two together herself, we get to use higher quality yogurt for a much lower cost than individual kid-sized store cups, & we get to control how much sugar (honey) she’s getting. In theory we could experiment with fruit-based fillings that she’s willing to eat, but my daughter eats fruit separately & I don’t mess with what works.

By: Janet Nezon

Janet Nezon — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:57:20 +0000

Great post Darya!
All of your ideas are great, and I love the ideas posted in the comments too. Lunches seem to be the biggest stress for many parents as the back-to-school season approaches, and your suggestions should make it easier for most people. I’d like to stress that, whatever is on the menu for lunch, it will have a much greater chance of being eaten if the kids are involved in making and packing it! The “what did I get?” scenario tends to lead to lunch-dumping, or trading at school! I always prepared a selection of healthy options (including “treats”) in kid-friendly formats & sizes, and let my kids put their own lunches together. My level of involvement evolved & backed off as my children grew up. Most kids, when faced with a variety of fresh, tasty foods, will actually put together a reasonable and balanced lunch. Parents just need to take responsibility for what’s on offer, and let the kids choose what & how much they want. I also think that parents tend to send too much food with their kids, and a lot of it ends up getting wasted.
Some people might call me lazy, as I delegated lunch-making to my kids as soon as they could pack a bag, but 2 of my children are now away at University and they are doing a great job of independently feeding themselves very well! My 19-year old son actually did most of the cooking for his roommates last year!

By: Sandra

Sandra — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:54:27 +0000

Frozen, fully cooked edamame is a lunch box staple at our house. It is perfect if I am pressed for time. I don’t have to prep anything and it is perfectly thawed by lunchtime. My kids love them.
A plastic container with some plain yogurt or cottage cheese is also popular. Sometimes I will add a drizzle of honey or other times some fresh fruit.
I would also add seeds. My daughter has a nut allergy and so we eat a lot of roasted pumpkin seeds, which are great. I also buy her sunflower butter which is a really delicious no-nut option.

By: aubrey

aubrey — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:41:28 +0000

i’ve been on a huge lettuce wrap kick lately- fill them up with leftovers from the night before and it’s an easy, portable lunch.
once the weather gets cold again, i migrate towards warm, soupy lunches. the bonus of those is that they are easy to make in advance and keep in the freezer. (but make sure you aren’t using plastic containers to stick in the microwave!)