With the official start of the new school year, it’s time to focus on one of the most perplexing dilemmas that plagues parents every day: what to pack for my child’s lunch.
Eventually, the peanut butter sandwich train stops, at least for a day or two. The “can I get one” momentum started rolling, but who has the money – and perhaps enough faith in the school cafeteria – to make this a daily practice?
A few more weeks of uncertainty and consternation could lead to capitulation and possibly a steady diet of pre-packaged meats, cheeses and crackers for lunch.
With sympathy and empathy, Dr. Kate Sanchez is the Assistant Director of Pediatrics at Penn State Health Pediatrics. She is also the mother of three children, including two of elementary school age.
So what do pediatricians pack for their children?
“I have to say, I’m not one of those Instagram moms who packs the perfect bento box, the perfect well-rounded meal,” Sanchez says with a laugh.
Breakfast is key
First and foremost, Sanchez believes that good nutrition starts with a quality breakfast. She subscribes to the age-old theory that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and ultimately, she prefers her patients to sit down to a hearty meal before school.
She also knows that busy lives can prevent that. As a result, Sanchez recommends that students eat some sort of sensible snack at least early in the morning while on the go, whether it’s a drinkable yogurt, protein shake or granola bar.
Skipping breakfast makes a quality, balanced lunch even more important for students, Sanchez said. That’s why she packs her kids one protein, one complex carbohydrate, one fruit and one vegetable for lunch every day.
Banana Man Saves the Day
Her 6-year-old never tires of peanut butter sandwiches on whole-wheat bread. But understanding that’s not the norm, she thinks lunch packers should be willing to mix it up for variety and flavor.
“If they prefer almond butter and jelly sandwiches, that’s a good option. Of course, a turkey sandwich would be great,” she says. “If they don’t like meat or don’t like peanut butter, I’ll try to do something like something with cheese or a bean protein.”
Sanchez said she’s lucky that both of her students love raw carrots and broccoli, which are now standard in their lunch bags. However, she gets a little creative when it comes to delivering fruit to school. She often draws or writes on bananas with a ballpoint pen, whether it’s a simple “Have a nice day,” a sketch of Mike from “Monsters, Inc.” or a “Banana Man” illustration, including hair, faces and ties. The “Banana Man” illustrations include hair, faces, and ties.
“My kids love it when I draw messages on their banana peels,” she said. “It’s a big deal for them, and it helps get them to eat bananas.”
Succumbing to pizza, burgers and more
Sanchez’s oldest son is now drawn to prepackaged meat, cheese and cracker lunches, so she created her own version.
“I tried to make my own,” she says. “I’ll send him little pita chips and sauce that I make myself with some extra cheese on the side, and then he makes his own mini pizzas at school.”
While homemade, healthy choices are working for her kids now, Sanchez recognizes that sometimes kids want things that mom and dad don’t make. They occasionally buy lunch at school as a treat, usually on pizza or hamburger day. But even then, she says, her kids’ cafeteria has a salad bar every day so they can buy vegetables, too.
Overall, Sanchez believes that schools are now doing a better job of providing balanced lunches, alleviating parents’ concerns when it comes to their children’s lunch purchases.
“What should be included in a school lunch has become more standardized, and it should always have fruits, vegetables, dairy and protein as the main ingredients,” she said. “They’re also trying to include more whole grain products in their food.”
As students get older, there are more unhealthy lunch options both in and out of school. Sanchez knows this firsthand.
“I remember my high school years fondly and the donuts they had with vanilla frosting and sugar sprinkles,” she said with a laugh. “I think I had one every day for lunch.”
Another key: vetting
Sanchez now preaches moderation to her children and her patients. It’s OK to have something sweet for lunch. She usually includes a fruit snack or a bite of chocolate in her kids’ lunches. But they also need to know why they shouldn’t overdo it.
“I encourage my teenage patients to avoid things that are very sugary that will spike your sugar at lunchtime and then make you crash for the rest of the afternoon,” she says. “We try to come up with solutions that might be better than eating that donut or eating that bag of chips.”
Her most important advice to parents who make school lunches – regardless of the age of the students – is to work with their children. Explain the basics of the need for a balanced meal and then prepare the lunch together. If students are involved in the process, they won’t be surprised or bored by the choices because they are the ones creating the menu.
“They can help choose what goes into it,” she says. “If they say, ‘I want carrots today, I don’t want broccoli,’ then they’re more likely to eat broccoli at school.”