Healthy Back To School Lunches

As your children head back to school, it’s important to keep the healthy, daily routines going that they followed all summer long. While you may love to cook nutritious foods at home, cafeteria selections can be less than desirable. Pizza, chicken nuggets and french fries are normally at the top of every school’s menu, offering some not so healthy options. However, recently schools have been hopping on the health bandwagon--at least slightly.



Based on a CDC survey conducted at U.S public schools, school lunches are now lower in sodium and more likely to contain whole grains, fruits and vegetables than they have in the past 10 years. While that’s definitely taking a step in the right direction, it’s important to make sure that your child always has healthy options when they're away from you. Here are some tips to ensure your little one’s meals are delicious and nutritious:
Swap Out The Sugary Drinks: Packing a water bottle for your child to bring to school is a great way to decrease their sugar intake and make sure they stay hydrated. If they don’t love the taste of plain water, infuse some fruit in it for an extra (healthy) kick!
Shape Their Sandwiches: Sending your child to school with a healthy sandwich on a whole grain bread does not ensure that they’ll actually want to eat it. Try cutting the sandwiches in whimsical shapes to make eating a healthy lunch much more appealing and fun!

Wrap It Up: Using the contents of a boring old sandwich and rolling it in a wrap, can give life to even the most basic of fillings. Take the classic PB&J, or for a more sophisticated eater--opt for hummus and veggies-- and wrap it up! You can swap out a traditional tortilla with a lettuce wrap for an extra healthy bonus!
Serve Up a Bento-Box: A bento-box is a great option for a picky eater or for someone who loves a little variety. This unconventional take on the brown bagged lunch, can be stocked with items like fruit, nuts, veggies and protein to add a combination of different flavors a textures! Get creative with it!  Your child will be so excited by their meal, they won’t even realize that they’re eating super healthy!

Another component of your child’s healthy routine, is ensuring that they maintain proper oral hygiene. Get your kids back to school ready and schedule their “new-school-year” visit with Pediatric Dentistry of Suffolk County.  Our caring and compassionate approach to pediatric dentistry, ensures that  our patients are comfortable at all times. To learn more about our practice visit us here, or give us a call at 631-320-0880 to schedule an appointment today

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