Plan ahead to pack healthy school lunches

Plan ahead to make kids’ lunches

Parents should plan ahead to make kids' lunches to make sure they are hitting all the basic food groups.

Parents shouldn’t feel pressured to pack elaborate lunches.

Some ideas from Cleveland Clinic include a sandwich wrap, yogurt or pasta salad.

You can also chop up some fruits and vegetables or give them leftovers from the night before, or plan at the start of the week.

“Then when you go to build the lunch, it’s just quick running through the food groups in your head,” Hyland said. “So I say, let’s build a lunch. Do we have a protein? Do we have a grain? Do we have a fruit and veggie? Do we have a dairy?”

While it may be convenient, it’s best to avoid prepackaged foods.