How to pack a perfect lunch for kids

This article was originally published in the September 2008 issue of Canadian Living Magazine. Subscribe today and never miss an issue!

A healthy packed lunch can be a child's best start to developing healthy eating habits and a good relationship with food. Children who eat well and stay active are more likely to do better in school, maintain a healthy body weight, build lifelong healthy eating habits and have better self-esteem. With a little knowledge and planning, you can be part of that good beginning.

• Consider your child's age, appetite and the recommendation of Canada's Food Guide when determining serving sizes. For a small eater, half a sandwich may be sufficient when packed with other small snacks, such as cubed cheese, fruit, cut vegetables or whole grain crackers.

• Active and growing children need many small and nutritious snacks to keep their energy levels up throughout the day. A healthy snack combines two to four of the food groups and is "tooth friendly" (doesn't sugar-coat teeth). These can include fresh fruit with yogurt dip, apples with cottage cheese, carrot sticks with tzatziki, whole grain crackers with cheese or pita bread with hummus.

• Children need lots of fluid throughout the day. Proper hydration combats headaches, fatigue and listlessness. Water is the best choice to drink: pack a refillable water bottle in your child's lunch bag to encourage it. If serving juice, choose juice boxes labelled 100 per cent fruit or vegetable juice. Pack small portions; Canada's Food Guide counts ½ cup (125 mL) juice as one serving.

Do not let juice replace fresh fruits or vegetables: when consumed in large quantities, juice can cause weight gain.

• Avoid snacks and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar and sodium, such as cookies, doughnuts, French fries, potato chips, fruit-flavoured drinks and soft drinks. Treat these as occasional snacks, best suited for home.

• Involve your child in choosing his or her lunch menu. Including favourite foods and snacks ensures the lunch will be eaten at school. Stick to introducing new foods at home.

• Be sure to offer a variety of foods in your child's lunch from day to day. For optimal growth and development, children require many different nutrients that come from a variety of foods. If they eat the same meals and snacks every day, they may miss out on essential nutrients. So, mix it up!

Page 1 of 2 - Lunch box tips and lunch recipes on page 2