Packing a More Healthful School Lunch Box

Most of the children at OCS bring their lunches to school. Which means, most parents at OCS face the daily dilemma of what to pack in their child's lunch sack. Children, like adults, get bored with eating the same thing over and over again and sleepy moms and dads have a hard time getting their creative juices going early in the morning. Tara Parker-Pope, a columnist with The New York Times and a mom of young children turned to nutritionist Martha Rose Shulman for some lunch box advice. Here is her report:

"At my house, the biggest challenge of back-to-school time isn’t getting up early or tackling homework. It is the snack bag. I want to pack healthful snacks, but my daughter gets tired of eating fruit and yogurt every day. I recently asked Martha Rose Shulman her suggestions for packing a tasty and more healthful lunchbox. Here are her suggestions:

Savory Cheese muffins: These have the appeal of both a muffin and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Mixed grain and blueberry muffins: Children want something sweet in their lunchboxes, and these muffins give them fruit and grains in one tasty treat.

Chicken and vegetable wrap: Much of the pleasure of eating this wrap comes from the crunchy textures of the lettuce and the shredded vegetables.

Hummus wrap: Hummus might not sound like a child-friendly food, but you may be surprised how quickly they will gobble it up.

Nut butter and jelly packet: A simple way to make a fun version of the classic sandwich.

For more ideas, be sure to check out Martha’s NYT column “Recipes for Health; Kids Edition" where she offers twelve recipes for child-friendly foods."