3 Reasons to Pack a School Lunch

Although schools are really trying to improve their lunch programs, not every school cafeteria provides appealing, healthy lunch choices. Even if your school provides healthy options, it is easy to give in to temptation and grab a less healthy choice when you're feeling really hungry or are rushed. But, how can you take control? Brownbag your lunch!

1. Variety. It doesn't hurt once and awhile to cave in and enjoy a slice of pizza or hot dog. But if you're eating these foods all the time, your body probably feels run down. By packing your lunch a couple of times a week, you can enjoy some favorites that you might not find at school. Try:

· Hummus and pita bread
· Whole wheat pita breads filled with turkey, chicken, beans, grated vegetables, and rice.
· Rolled up tortillas filled with a thin layer of cream cheese and chicken or fish (like smoked salmon) or filled with rice, beans and cheese.
· Cut up chicken from dinner the night before and put it in whole wheat bread or eat with brown rice.
· Hard-boiled eggs or egg salad sandwiches. Add grated vegetables to the egg salad.
· Pasta. Add chopped spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese and a favorite dressing for a cold pasta salad. Tortellini filled with spinach and a touch of olive oil or flaxseed oil. Cook a little extra pasta for dinner and use it for lunch the next day.

2. Control. Have you ever waited in a long lunch line only to find that when you get to the front that you don't like anything they are serving? So you reach for that pizza or hotdog again. By packing a brown bag lunch, not only to you get the nutritional value of the food from home, but you also get to skip that long line and finally get a seat at that table that is always packed.

3. Energy. If you have an after-school activity and going to home for a snack is impossible, brown bag a healthy snack that contains proteins with carbohydrates that will give you lasting energy and keep you going until you can get home for dinner. Try:

· Your own "trail" mix of dried fruit and nuts or sunflower seeds, whole-grain pretzels and low-fat cheese, or a bagful of baby carrots and yogurt dip.
· Pretzels without trans fats, instead of potato chips.
· Graham crackers, oatmeal raisin cookies instead of chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, or brownies.

Whether you pack or eat in the cafeteria, what’s important is that you make healthy choices. If you're concerned that your cafeteria doesn't offer enough healthy choices, get involved in trying to make changes. Ask a teacher or someone in food service for advice on how to get started. You can also make lunch fun, but using these fun bags designs. For more bag designs, click here.

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