Best and Worst Foods to Pack For Lunch

Healthy Lunches: Skip This, Pack This

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School has been in session for a few weeks, but if packing healthy lunches feels like a pop quiz you're failing, we have a some simple swaps to suggest. And we know brown bagging it isn't just for the little ones either. Read up and see how to make sure your lunch box is full of healthful food.

Skip This Pack This Reasons Why
Deli meat Sliced tofu, roasted meat, or grilled chicken They'll offer protein without added sodium and fat.
Wheat Thins Triscuits Triscuits are made with whole wheat flour instead of enriched flour, so they offer more fiber per serving, plus fewer calories.
Cream cheese on a bagel Natural peanut butter on a bagel The nut butter might offer more calories, but it's also higher in fiber, lower in saturated fat, and higher in protein.
Orange juice Orange Opt for the actual fruit to increase your lunch's fiber content and save you liquid calories.
Regular pasta Whole wheat pasta Whether it's your kid's mac 'n' cheese or lasagna for yourself, always opt for whole wheat pasta for added fiber.
Goldfish Annie's Whole Wheat Cheddar Bunnies The Cheddar Bunnies are made with whole wheat flour instead of enriched flour. They're also lower in saturated fat and offer more fiber per serving.

Keep on reading to find out what else you should skip when packing lunch.

Skip This Pack This Reasons Why
Applesauce Apple The apple peel offers extra fiber and nutrients, plus chewing food always makes you feel more full than slurping it.
Lay's Potato Chips Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Chips If you're craving something salty, the corn chips are lower in calories and sodium, but are also higher in fiber and protein.
Raisins Grapes Pop some cold grapes in your mouth and even top them on your salad instead of raisins for extra fiber and fewer calories.
One whole wheat wrap Two slices of whole wheat bread A wrap might offer fewer calories, but the whole wheat bread is a great source of protein and fiber.
Yoplait Gogurt Chobani Champions Greek yogurt offers four times the amount of protein, which is so important for kid's development. Choose Greek yogurt for the grown-ups too.
Cookie Dark chocolate Everyone is entitled to finish off with a sweet treat, so go for the antioxidant-rich dark chocolate rather than a cookie bursting with white flour and butter.


If you have any other healthy lunch swaps, please share them below.

Source: Thinkstock
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5 Comments

Giasbash6260 Giasbash6260
*Roasted Butternut Squash is my GO TO for snacking, sweets, etc! YUM!
3251247 3251247
The reduced fat wheat thins are not made from enriched flour. \u00a0Just saying. \u00a0 \u00a0
Jenny Sugar Jenny Sugar
lickety split - good point. And now I'm curious to know what you packed for lunch that the other child with the Twinkie wanted!
bjeanne18 bjeanne18
I love the thin crisps triscuits - they aren't as overwhelming :) Also, there's a pasta called Smart Taste that looks white but has a ton of fiber, etc - the kid would never know :)
lickety split lickety split
if your child doesn't like what you pack, it will be thrown away or traded. be sure and ask your child what they like to EAT at kunch. my youngest kept asking for something in her lunch that she didn't eat at home. found out (much later) that she was trading it to a friend for her twinkie!
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