Y ippee!!! School's back in session! Did I say yippee? I meant to say, "Oh darn, my darling boys are headed back to school."
Undoubtedly, many parents share in my lament and are just as sorry to see school deprive them of their children's company. Worse -- and more likely true -- many parents are probably not looking forward to the drudgery of packing school lunches day in and day out for yet another year.
Still, with a generation of children being characterized as the most overweight, obese generation of children in our history, parents have to do their part to send their kids to school with healthy, balanced lunches. Harder still, parents have to pack lunches enticing enough that they won't get traded, trashed, or substituted for fast-food fodder.
One of the best ways to ensure the lunches you pack don't meet such a ill-deserved fate is to get your children involved in the process. I know, I know, given the choice, you fear a lunchbox filled with Twinkies and Ho-Ho's, but that's where you come in.
Give your child choices, but choices within parameters established by you: They get to choose between sources of protein such as lean deli meat, yogurt, almonds or cheese sticks; sources of carbohydrates such as pretzels, baked crackers or chips; fruits such as dried cranberries, bite-sized apples (sprinkled with "no brown" products -- available in the canning section -- of course), grapes or applesauce; and drinks such as bottled water, chocolate or strawberry-flavored 2 percent or non-fat milk; and desserts such as puddings or gelatins that satisfy the sweet tooth without huge amounts of fat.
Strive for balance, incorporating all food groups, and strive for variety to keep your child's interest in the choices they have to select from. The ability to successfully make these choices, however, begins with your shopping skills.
Your child, after all, can only choose nutritious lunch items if you've stocked the cupboards with foods that meet that criterion. That means steering away sugary sodas, juices, fatty snack foods, sugar-high desserts as well as processed foods and ready-made lunches.
