Essential Healthy Lunchbox Meal Plan

Here are five days of kid-friendly, well-balanced meals to keep your little ones going strong all day.
Cooking Channel's Mediterranean Tuna Wrap for Healthy Eating

Cooking Channel's Mediterranean Tuna Wrap for Healthy Eating

Photo by: Alice Gao ©2014 Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Alice Gao, 2014 Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved

The kids are finally back to school, and you’re back to scrambling for ideas of what to pack for lunch. Here are five days of kid-friendly, well-balanced meals to keep your little ones going strong all day.

The Menu

Each day of the week offers a fun way for kids to enjoy their favorite foods. Each meal is also put together so it consists of a minimum of four different food groups. Each food group offers a variety of nutrients, and all of them together as a meal enable your kids to take in the important nutrients they need for proper growth and development. To add a nice touch, use colorful bowls, spoons, straws or napkins. Leave an “I love you” note or jot a quick joke down on a piece of paper and tuck it neatly inside the lunchbox. It’s a win-win meal for you and your child.

Monday
Mediterranean Tuna Wrap (pictured above)
Seedless grapes
Nonfat or low-fat milk
Food groups: Protein, starch, fruit, dairy
Tuesday
Sliced vegetables like celery, bell peppers, cucumbers
100 percent juice box
Food groups: Protein, dairy, starch, vegetable, fruit

Photo by: EA Stewart ©2015, Television Food Network, G. P. All Rights Reserved.

EA Stewart, 2015, Television Food Network, G. P. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday
Sliced melon
Nonfat or low-fat milk
Food groups: Protein, vegetables, fruit, dairy
Thursday
Strawberries
Water
Food groups: Protein, starch, vegetables, dairy, fruit
Friday
Pomegranate seeds (don’t forget to pack a spoon)
Low-fat chocolate milk
Food groups: Protein, starch, vegetables, dairy, fruit

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition. She is the author of The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day.

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