Providing Our Kids with a Truly Nutritious School Lunch

WRITTEN BY MATTHEW LARSEN

As parents and caregivers, our main goal is to always provide what our children need to be happy, healthy and successful throughout their school years and beyond. So, what does that mean when it comes to a nutritious school lunch during their formative years?

Research from No Kid Hungry has demonstrated that optimal nutrition is associated with improvements in school performance and supports a student’s ability to stay on task. The April 2023 study from No Kid Hungry on how hunger affects learning1 reported a direct correlation between the level of nutritional content a kid consumes throughout the day and their level of concentration, behavioral management and overall academic performance.

Summertime routines, particularly when it comes to making meals, can often feel vastly different than the chaos of back-to-school, especially when it comes to preparing a lunch to send with your kids for a full day at school. Having some key items on hand will ensure that you’re not only sending them off with a balance of foods but will ease your family’s transition from summer to school.

I recommend starting with the "Healthy Eating Plate2" from Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health. When building a nutritious lunchtime meal, look at a balance of fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins with the recognition that not all foods within each group are equal – some, like vegetables, should be consumed in higher quantities, as they help to ensure your child has fuel to focus in their classes and others, like fiber-rich whole grains, help kids stay full throughout the remainder of the school day.

This approach helps with planning for your “main four:” fruit, vegetables, whole grains and protein. I like this framework as it helps give a roadmap for adding, not restricting, the nutrients that we provide to our children to get them through the day.

Some of my favorite lunch inspirations stem from a classic “brown bag” concept. But, by paying special attention to the key ingredients, you can take a simple, tried-andtrue lunch to a healthy meal with a few slight changes. For example, use whole grain bread, pasta and tortillas and include foods that are high in fiber like fresh fruits and vegetables. As a nutritionist and father of two, here are a few favorites I like making my own children for lunch:

• A sandwich with turkey, lettuce and cheese with apple slices and carrot sticks

• A turkey and cheddar cheese wrap, fresh berries with yogurt and trail mix

• Pita bread with hummus, tomatoes, cucumbers and orange slices

• Pasta salad, yogurt, granola bar and fresh raspberries

• Cheese quesadilla, guacamole, salsa and fresh strawberries

Of course you can add in their favorite, smallportioned sweet snack, and don’t forget a big serving of water to keep them hydrated. With this approach, we can adjust for what our kids want, too. Your kid doesn’t like turkey in their sandwich? Swap for a slice of lunch meat they do love, or integrate PB&J instead for a vegetarian-friendly protein kick. Focusing on foods that we know they like within some of these core lunch ideas ensures that we are making small tweaks that make a big difference. It all adds up to a well-balanced meal.

Above all, we want our kids to eat well and feel good. As the 2023-2024 school year gets underway, there is no better time to start preparing for these meals so that the transition is easy once school starts.

Matthew Larsen, RDN, LN, CDCES is the Diabetes Program Manager at Montana Pediatrics. As a dietitian-nutritionist focused on diabetes care and an education specialist, he engages people where they are to assist them in getting to the next steps in their healthy lifestyles. A Montana State University graduate, Matthew has more than 10 years of experience leading preventive healthcare teams and positive patient and family outcomes.

1. How Does Hunger Affect Learning? (2023, April 24). [web log]. Retrieved July 5, 2023, from https://www.nokidhungry. org/blog/how-does-hunger-affect-learning#:~:text=In%20 a%20pre%2Dpandemic%20survey,to%20tackle%20their%20 evening%20homework.

2. Healthy Eating Plate. The Nutrition Source. (2023, January 31). https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthyeating-plate/