Pack a Healthy Sack Lunch

Summer is coming to an end and school is about to begin! It is time to start thinking about what healthy foods to pack in your kid’s sack lunch. Although we have full faith in North Texas school districts with their pallet of food options that are beneficial to your family’s health, we have some quick, easy recommendations for you to put in their lunch boxes to keep them at their best educational performance. 

Our family doctors suggest a well-balanced lunchtime diet that includes a variety of light proteins along with an equal or higher portion of carbohydrates within the same meal. This balance keeps your body energized for the day in order to avoid that post-lunch crash. Having this energy will give your children the opportunity to stay focused in class and other daily school activities.  One great way to pack these ingredients into a lunch is a nice, simple sandwich. Our very own Dr. Whitehead suggests one of his favorite sandwiches that includes whole wheat bread, one slice of turkey, a slice of cheese of your choice, some lettuce, and tomato slices.  If just a sandwich doesn’t do, you can always add fruit on the side along with a delicious granola bar that your child will love. For anyone who chooses not to eat animal products, a peanut butter sandwich is always a great option in order to get those protein and carbohydrate supplements for your children to stay energized throughout the day.

It is also very important to include diversity in your family’s lunch in order to include more food groups into their diet. Thankfully, there are such a large variety of fruits and vegetables that can be stowed in a lunchbox for you to choose from. Some of our favorite, easy-to-pack lunchtime fruits are apples, bananas, oranges and grapes. For vegetables, we suggest baby carrots, celery, or cold broccoli for those who are more open to green veggies. For those who enjoy dairy products, we recommend yogurt, cheese, and milk, all of which are very simple to pack and are very beneficial to your family’s wellness!

Remember, healthy food keeps your family healthy!