By Claire Bacon, ACN, CNC
Snack time is a regular part of your child’s schedule, but are you providing enough of the nutrient-dense snacks that will keep him/her going? As our kids head back to school, you may be already running out of ideas for a healthy lunch box. We need to have a good list of healthy lunch box ideas on hand, in order to avoid the call of fast food that’s so prevalent in and around our schools.
Or, if you’re new to the idea of going gluten-free, you may be simply overwhelmed or stumped for other good bread-free ideas. Let’s fix that!
Just because you might be looking to venture away from sandwiches, doesn’t mean your child will be lacking for anything tasty or nutritious in his/her lunch box. Plus, you’ll want some healthy snacks to go along with it!
Growing children often get hungry between meals, or prefer to “graze” rather than eating a large meal. Nutritious snacking can help with keeping energy, attention, and mood even throughout the day. But, we need to watch out for having too many of the processed and convenient snack foods that can have a detrimental effect on his/her health.
What we want to avoid most are those artificial flavorings, colorings, preservatives and sugars that are commonly within processed foods. Why? Because these ingredients can contribute to chronic inflammation in the brain, blood sugar issues, and immune suppression, which you could notice as behavioral issues, short attention span, tantrums, and frequent sicknesses or skin conditions.
Choosing the best snacks for the lunch box:
Choosing healthy snacks can be challenging! There are so many snacks that “claim” to be healthy, but are they really? Have we been tricked by the marketing on the front label?
Assuming we’re not dealing with specific food allergens, here are a few tips for buying store-bought snacks:
- Look at the total amounts of sugars and carbohydrates. You want to aim for less than 15g of carbohydrates, and less than 5g of sugar per serving.
- Look at the ingredients listed. If the main ingredients are dehydrated fruit, vegetables, nuts, or another form of protein, that’s a good sign for a snack. (If it reminds you of a chemistry lesson, put it down).
- Look at the serving size to get a full understanding how much is in the container.
- Look at the protein and fat content in the snack, because these nutrients will keep your child feeling full, longer. Kids’ brains need protein and fat!
- Combine foods – like a homemade trail mix – if the store-bought version is not quite good enough.
- Always buy “unsweetened,” “organic,” and/or “non-GMO certified” if you have a choice.
Delicious and Healthy Lunch Box Snacks:
Having a substantial list of child-safe snacks for the lunch box is helpful when you go to the grocery store. It can be a bit daunting to sort through the choices, especially when pressed for time.
Depending on age-appropriateness, here are our favorite kid-friendly options to keep on hand:
- Coconut milk yogurt is a great source of protein, calcium, and the beneficial bacteria that are needed for good gut health, and healthy teeth.
- Fresh apple slices with a packet of Justin’s nut butter is so yummy and convenient.
- Dehydrated mango slices with a small bunch of organic grapes or peeled Clementine wedges are refreshing and delicious.
- If not too hard to chew, a few pieces of a mild turkey, beef, or buffalo jerky can keep blood sugar stable and mood upbeat.
- A hard-boiled egg is great for breakfast, but also goes into a lunch box well. The protein and choline help keep the brain alert!
- Celery with either almond butter or hummus, with raisins, is a great balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats in a snack.
- Make your own deli turkey roll-ups with a sliced cheese and/or a thinly sliced pickle.
More Ideas for a Grown-Up Lunch Box:
Heading off to work? You’ll want a flavorful, grab-and-go list of options!
Sandwiches, Pitas, Rollups and Wraps:
- Slices of turkey meat with pesto and tomato on your choice of bread.
- Homemade chicken liver or beef liver pâté with pickles (great source of iron, vitamin A, and B vitamins).
- Apple slices with bacon, Dijon mustard, and cheddar cheese.
- Grilled cheese embellished with fresh or dried basil, bacon bits, leftover shredded meat, or a spoonful of sundried tomatoes.
- Chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on Ezekiel bread.
- Hefty slice of homemade meatloaf topped with mashed potato & alfalfa sprouts.
- Smoked salmon with a yogurt dip made with capers and red onion.
- Your favorite chicken salad made with pecans or walnuts, grapes, celery and mayo on crackers or bread.
- Salmon or shredded chicken rolled up with cream cheese, arugula or spinach and sliced green onion.
- Refried beans (seasoned with cumin, garlic and salt) rolled up with lettuce, shredded cheese, and salsa
Soups and Chili:
Soups and chili are so satisfying when made with a homemade bone broth. Freeze leftover soup in meal-sized portions in Mason jars. Thaw the needed portion overnight and warm it up on the stovetop in the morning.
Supplements To Assist Your Child’s Diet:
Yes, children can take supplements to support their digestion and gut health. The following three supplements we highly recommend for any family with small children…
- Betafood is a very simple yet powerful product. It contains beets – something kids never eat – but can relieve constipation and promote detoxification.
- Prosynbiotic is a synergistic blend of probiotic strains and prebiotic fibers to support intestinal health. Really helps with bowel regularity and consistency, as well as immune health.
- Lactic Acid Yeast wafers support a healthy intestinal environment, especially with how the body digests carbohydrates. Helps with gassiness and tummy aches.
- Super Nutes is our best kids’ chewable multivitamin. It has a nice lemony flavor, and covers all of their basic foundational needs. Available in office only.
Please visit our online shop to read more about these special products!
Final Thoughts
Making a healthy lunch box is your prime opportunity to take charge of your health. Stay away from the fast food temptations, and nourish yourself every day of the week.
You’ll feel even more productive knowing your healthy meals are all planned out!
Have a great week!