Creatively Balanced Lunches for Kids!

Make it Their Own Lunch

Grain: 4 whole-wheat crackers = size of saltines

Meat: 1 thick 3 oz. slice of turkey

Milk: 1 thick 1 ½ oz slice of cheese

Fruit: ½ cup of raisins = size of a golf ball

Vegetable: 2 stalks of celery cut up with 1 Tbsp. low-fat yogurt dip

Treat: 2 Fig Newton cookies

• Order the meat and cheese cut thick from your local deli.
• Use small cookie cutters to cut the meat and cheese into shapes of your choice.
• Package the food in a plastic container with dividers for the various different foods or in small separate containers.
• This involves the child in making their lunch by putting the cracker sandwiches together.

Pizza Party Bag and an Apple Peanut Butter Treat

Grain: ½ whole wheat English muffin

Meat: 2 Tbsp of peanut butter = size of a ping pong ball

Milk: 2 Tbsp of low-fat mozzarella shredded cheese = size of a ping pong ball

Fruit: 1 apple, cored

Vegetable: 2 Tbsp Marinara sauce = size of a ping pong ball

Baby carrots = about 9 carrots

Treat: 1 Tbsp of dark chocolate chips

• Send the pizza parts in separate containers so the child can make their own container by spreading the sauce on the two halves of the English muffin and sprinkling cheese on each half.
• Core the apple then mix the peanut butter with the chocolate chips. Put the mixture in the middle of the apple for a nutritious dessert.

Pretty Pasta Salad

Grain: ½ cup whole-wheat pasta, cooked

Meat: 3 oz. chicken breast, cubed = size of a deck of cards

Milk: 1 Tbsp of shredded parmesan cheese = size of ½ a ping pong ball

Fruit: About 32 grapes

Vegetable: 1 cup of fresh vegetables: peppers, tomatoes, onions, olives and cucumbers = size of a baseball

Treat: 1 cup of low-fat pudding = size of a baseball

• This is a creative lunch for children that keep them from getting bored with the same old sandwich all the time.

Peanut Butter, Jelly and Bananza Puzzle

Grain: 1 slice of whole-wheat bread = size of CD

Meat: 2 Tbsp peanut butter = size of a ping pong ball

Milk: 8 oz of low fat milk = size of a small milk carton

Fruit: 1 banana sliced

Vegetable: 1 large pepper, sliced into pepper slices

Treat: ¼ cup of trail mix = size of a golf ball

• Make a trail mix of various items such as peanuts, raisins, cranberries an oat cereal or granola
• Make a peanut butter, banana and jelly sandwich and cut it into 6-9 pieces and mix them up. The child can then put them back together.

Sources:  http://school.familyeducation.com/foods/school/29524.html, www.mypyramid.gov