School Lunches are getting a healthy makeover–and so is your lunch!
Lunches this school year are getting a healthy makeover. Kids are seeing more fruit, vegetables, and whole grains on their meal trays–woot-woot! In accordance with the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act school lunch and breakfast programs are experiencing meal reforms for the first time in 30 years!
Change can be uncomfortable and some school districts are having issues with the reform (although in our opinion, what’s not to like about giving our kids more nutrients?!). Some school districts are cutting ties with a federally funded school lunch in fear of losing profit. Children have been buying lunch off campus and some parents have been packing lunches for their kids more often. The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) hopes to provide children with critical nutrition and prevent cases of childhood obesity. What do you think about the change?
We love that school lunches are getting healthier! And if you’re not getting that school lunch tray, we want to make sure that your lunch is seeing more fruit, veggies and whole grains too!
Today we’ll start with revamping a sandwich. Here’s how:
Packing a sandwich?
The key sandwich ingredients for health:
Whole grain bread (or whole wheat tortilla, whole wheat pita, etc. The key is to make these choices WHOLE GRAIN)
- Adios white bread!-HELLO fiber and nutrients that keep the heart healthy and prevent diabetes
Heart healthy protein (chicken breast, turkey breast, salmon, tuna, peanut butter or almond butter, hummus)
- Au revoir deli salami, bacon, processed cheeses and mayo-packed chicken salad! Instead, say hello to much less salt and bloat, healthier insides and a longer lasting energy boost without feeling sluggish.
- Remember to measure nut butters as although they are healthy, the calories add up quickly.
Produce (fruits and veggies!) (lettuce, bell peppers, sprouts, mushrooms, carrots, apples, bananas, grapes- pile your meat or hummus sandwiches with veggies and your nut butter sandwiches with fruit–um, yum!)
- Goodbye sandwiches that lack the good stuff! No more just meat and cheese or just nut butter and sugary jelly!
Heart healthy condiment (avocado, hummus, mustard, lemon and vinegar with a splash of olive oil)
- Goodbye bye waist-line busting mayo, gobs of fatty cheeses!
Lunch is served–YUM!