Posted on: Monday, September 15, 2008
Quick and healthy brown-bagging for kids
By Nanci Hellmich
USA Today
With kids back in school, many parents are scrambling for ideas for quick breakfasts and easy bagged lunches. We asked two registered dietitians to give parents ideas for healthful meals to pack at home.
FUEL UP
"Children can't make it three or four hours in the morning on just sugary cereal or pastry," says Elizabeth Ward, Boston nutritionist and author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feeding Your Baby and Toddler."
"At breakfast, I try to make sure my kids get a decent dose of protein (egg, cottage cheese, peanut butter), as well as complex carbohydrates like whole-grain toast or oatmeal, fruit, and dairy, such as skim or 1 percent milk or yogurt," says Ward, the mother of three daughters ages 9, 12 and 13.
"I'm a big fan of school lunches, but you have more control over the cost and what your child eats if you pack lunch at home. Think outside of the box. Lunch can be more than a sandwich. Consider leftover pizza, soups, stews, pasta, chicken caesar salad or even breakfast foods, like cereal with milk," Ward says.
"I like to get my kids involved in preparing their own lunches. For five minutes the night before, we put our lunch together for the next day. It reduces the chaos in the morning." Her suggestions:
BREAKFAST
Yogurt parfait: Layer 1 cup low-fat yogurt, 1 cup berries or 1/4 cup raisins, and 1 cup whole-grain cereal in a tall glass.
Scrambled egg pocket: Scramble 1 egg or 2; place in half a whole-wheat pita pocket; add salsa, black beans and grated cheese. Serve with fruit or 8 ounces of 100 percent fruit juice.
Banana Ants-Under-The Dog: Take 1 white whole-grain hot dog roll, spread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter or sunflower seed butter (good for kids who are allergic to peanut butter), then sprinkle 1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries on top. Peel banana and put in hot dog roll. Have with 8 ounces of 1 percent low-fat milk. "This can also be lunch if the child brings the banana unpeeled and peels it right before eating. If you want this to be lunch, add some other food to the meal," Ward says.
Smoothie: Place 4 ounces plain low-fat yogurt, 1 cup berries or 1 medium banana, 1/2 cup of 1 percent low-fat milk and 2 ice cubes in a blender or food processor. Serve with 1 or 2 pieces of whole-grain toast.
Hard-cooked egg (or 2), whole-grain roll or toast with jam, sliced apple and 8 ounces of 1 percent low-fat milk. This can also be a lunch. You can make eggs on the weekend for the week ahead.
Quaker Oatmeal to Go bar, banana or other fruit and cup of 1 percent low-fat milk.
LUNCH
1 slice of leftover thin-crust cheese pizza, a peach or pear, 8 ounces 100 percent fruit juice, and a single-serving bag of low-fat popcorn (already popped).
Turkey and cheese roll-ups: Wrap deli turkey around string cheese. Serve with whole-grain pretzels, carrot sticks or cherry tomatoes, fruit and 8 ounces 1 percent low-fat milk.
Mediterranean wrap: Place hummus, tabbouleh and feta cheese on whole-wheat wrap and fold. Serve with a can of pineapple juice, an ounce of pistachios, low-fat yogurt and a Quaker chewy granola bar with protein.
Bagel sandwich: Leftover cooked, chopped chicken tossed with grapes and low-fat mayo on a 2-ounce whole-wheat bagel. (You can buy these frozen and keep on hand for lunches.) With a single-serving carton of raisins and cup of 1 percent low-fat milk.
Whole-grain crackers, hummus, string cheese, single-serving carton of raisins (1 ounce), 8 ounces 1 percent low-fat milk and a Quaker chewy granola bar with protein.
Hard-cooked egg (or 2), whole-grain roll, single serving of mandarin oranges, single-serving carton of raisins, 1 ounce of in-shell pistachio nuts and 8 ounces of 1 percent milk.
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