Dietitian offers tips for successful school lunch at home

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WSAW) - Some parents are playing the role of lunch lady for their kids this fall. There are ways to make sure kids get the fuel they need for virtual school without getting a headache.

A nutritionist at Aspirus Riverview Hospital says planning food options ahead and letting kids have some control can be key to making school lunch easy.

“Our children’s health, I think for every parent, is top priority,” said Registered Dietitian Andrea Wagner.  

Wagner says letting kids think they’re in charge could make for a tears-free lunchtime.

“Let them have that control over what they’re going to have. Give them options, here are four options for lunches this week, and you already know you’ve made healthy choices for them, and then they just get to pick what they want,” she said.  

Snack time can quickly get out of control, but meal prep could make kids reach for more veggies.

“If there’s carrots in the fridge, are they cut up, are they peeled, are they ready to eat? Most kids are not going to peel a carrot, they’re not going to cut up a pepper, they’re not going to prepare those things themselves,” she said. “My first thought would be grab and go. You don’t want them to be portioning out their own snacks. You’re helping them with portion control.”

This doesn’t mean sweets are off the table. She says it’s just taking their sugar intake down a tablespoon or two, which also could improve school performance. Parents can look for snacks with “no sugar added.”

“There’s no sugar added snack bars, I’d call them, more than a granola bar. One example would be a Larabar, where it’s natural sweetened from the fruit that’s in it,” she said.  

But there are several foods Wagner suggests you ban from virtual school lunch.  

“Also staying away from simple carbohydrates. A simple carbohydrate would be like white bread, foods that are made with white flour,” she said.  

And of course just like school, she suggests a set lunch and set snack times every few hours throughout the day to avoid overeating while at home, something she says could have lasting effects.

“There’s likely going to be weight gain, or it might just distract them from their schoolwork,” she said.

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