10 Fun Ideas for Lunches

1. Let your kid select a lunchbox that best expresses his or her personality.
2. Pack lunch together the night before. This way your child really has a role in preparing a healthful meal.
3. Put away the sandwich bread and shake things up with a low-fat, whole-wheat tortilla or pita pocket.
4. Feeling really daring? Go out on a limb with rolls, flat bread, bagels, foccacia, scones, or rice cakes.
5. Switch up the condiments. "Instead of light mayonnaise, mustard or ketchup, add a healthy kick to any sandwich by using fresh salsa, pesto, or vinaigrette," says Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, MD, a New York pediatrician.
6. Make fruit fun. Skewer fresh fruit on Popsicle sticks. Let your kids help make the kebabs.
7. Send along your child's favorite condiment or dip for fruit, crackers, or veggies: low-fat dressing, applesauce, peanut butter, etc.
8. Take advantage of manufacturers' prepackaged healthful products that now come in cooler shapes and wrappers, including trail mixes (with dried fruit, nuts, and cereal), smoothies, and yogurts.
9. Don't forget the drink. Some low-fat milks, 100 percent fruit juices, and even bottled waters come in funky shapes.
10. Include a note on a napkin or a funny comic strip from the morning paper. "A simple 'Good luck on your test' or 'Thinking of you' goes a long way," Dr. Trachtenberg says.

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