7.Don’t Be BO-RING!
Swap out what’s in your child’s lunchbox every now and then so it doesn’t get traded or trashed. Pack a black bean cake or soup for the main meal. Put PB&J on a cocoa-flavored rice cake or cinnamon-raisin bagel rather than bread. Make an inside-out sandwich by wrapping thin-sliced turkey or ham around a whole-wheat breadstick, pretzel, carrot stick, or low-fat string cheese. Mix up menu items to make them too tasty to swap!
8.In Their Dreams
Challenge your child to draw a picture of their dream lunch, and give them a big box of crayons. The brighter, the better. Apples, carrots, celery, grapes, tomatoes, beans, greens, oranges, and blueberries — in any combination — give kids the colors they crave and the nutrients they need. If they sketch nothing but candy, take the opportunity to inspire them about foods that help them learn and play.
