Packing A Balanced Lunch | NWPF Nutrition | Katharine Jeffcoat, RDN, LD

The new school year is in full swing, and for the first time, I have my two children at the same school. I’m grateful to have this small piece of simplification for my life. The one thing I have heard from families over the last few weeks as they have prepared for back to school is what do we pack for lunch!? Especially for parents who want to pack a balanced lunch and their kids may be picky or don’t like the typical sandwiches. Some kids want the same thing every day, and I know this can lead to burn out, and parents left with no backup plan. So I put together a list of some of my favorites I like to see packed in lunches to help provide this balance. I love using a bento-style lunch box, having a spot for every food group, and changing it up each day. Packing a balanced lunch means giving your child variety, foods from each food group and also including something “fun” considering they’ll be burning the extra energy. For older kids, it’s great to get them involved. I put together this chart to make it easier for parents to review with their older kids the choices they have. I know there are so many more choices then what I provided here, feel free to add on your favorites. To make lunch even more fun, check out some of my favorite lunch boxes, Picking the Right Lunch Box For Your Child. I hope this makes your lunch packing time a little easier!

Grains/Starches	Fruit	Protein	Vegetables	Fats	Fun Foods: Extra Energy
Tortilla	Grapes	HB Egg	Carrot Sticks	Avocado	Chips
Apple	Avocado	Hummus	Celery	Cheese	Cookie
Wheat bread	Berries	Tuna	Cucumber	Olives	Fruit Snack
Whole grain cracker	Raisins or other dried fruit	Deli meat,Salami	Broccoli	RanchDip	Whatever your child considers fun.
Pasta	Banana	Greek Yogurt	Spinach (in wrap)	Seeds, Nuts
Pita	Cherry Tomato	Tofu	Sliced peppers	Dressing
Rice Cakes	Dried Fruit leather	Cheese	Snap peas	Olives
Crackers	Pineapple	Nuts	Other favorites
Corn	Fruit Cup	Cottage cheese
Quinoa		Nut Butters
Oranges		Cubed left over chicken
Beans		Nut Butters
Rice