|
7 easy ways to make your child’s lunchbox healthier
At back-to-school time and throughout the school year, parents face the daily lunchbox challenge: how to pack food that will tempt kids’ appetites and still give them quality nutrition.
Unless you’ve got a confirmed salad-lover on your hands, you might find yoursel relying on the same old PB&J (if your child’s school allows nut products at all) every day. But you dont have to, because our nutrition pros did a better-for-you redo of some lunchbox regulars.
1. Instead of white bread, try whole-grain white bread
They look and taste about the same, but whole-grain white bread—a combo of regular white flour and whole-grain flour—has more than double the fiber.
2. Look for breads labeled “soft” or “soft and smooth.” If your child won’t eat whole wheat bread, try 100% whole wheat breads that are labeled “soft” or “soft and smooth.” These have a texture that’s similar to white bread’s, and the fiber benefits of traditional 100% whole wheat breads. Another option: Make sandwiches with whole-grain hamburger buns. “These are lighter and less dense than some whole-wheat breads,” says Consumer Reports’ senior product tester Amy Keating, R.D.
3. Instead of American cheese slices, try Swiss cheese slices
The fat and calories may be similar, but Swiss cheese has 80 percent less sodium per slice. Don’t like the taste? Try cheddar and save a third or more of the sodium per slice.
Find out where cost-conscious American women do their grocery shopping. And get some great snack strategies for your youngsters, too.
4. Instead of salami or bologna, try sliced chicken or turkey breast
Ounce per ounce, you’ll save more than half of the calories and get just a fraction of the fat. But watch the sodium in deli meats, and stick with a 2-ounce portion.
5. Try others tasty, healthly fillings.
For alternatives to lunch meat, chop grilled chicken breasts with a bit of shredded cabbage and make wraps, top whole-wheat wraps with cheese and beans in a skillet (they’re tasty sliced into quesadillas and eaten cold the next day); create a sandwich with hummus or egg salad.
6. Use those leftovers.
If you made pasta and veggies for dinner the night before, heat a portion up and pack it in a Thermos. “They will really will keep foods warm,” says Keating.
7. Instead of chocolate-chip cookies, try a granola bar with chocolate chips
You can find bars with less fat and fewer calories than a typical chocolate-chip cookie. But to make sure you’re getting the most whole grains and fiber, look for granola bars and whole oats as the first ingredient. Another option: unsweetened applesauce.
 
A version of this article also appeared in the August/September 2014 issue of ShopSmart magazine.
Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.
|
.JPG)
No comments:
Post a Comment