Your children are starting back to school this month, and you need healthy ideas for lunches and snacks. Remember that some schools don’t allow nuts or peanuts because of allergies.
Offer children water when they’re thirsty, and vegetables and fruit instead of juice, even if it’s 100-per-cent juice.
Choose these healthy snacks every day:
- Fresh or frozen vegetables
- Fresh or frozen fruit
- Fruit cup in fruit juice or water
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Whole grain bread
- Whole grain crackers
- Whole grain naan, roti or pita
- Whole grain tortilla or wrap
- Whole grain cereal
- Hummus
- Eggs
- Nuts or nut butters (check first to see if allowed at school)
- Meat, chicken or fish
- White milk
- Cheese or cheese string
- Fortified plain soy beverage
- Plain yogurt
Choose these snacks some days:
- Flavoured fortified milk or soy beverage, such as chocolate, strawberry or vanilla
- Fruit-flavoured yogurt
- Baked crackers
- Muffin
- Granola bar
- Dried fruit and nut mix
Choose these snacks less often. These snacks are high in sugar, fat and/or salt:
- Candy or fruit gummies
- Potato chips or fried snacks
- Instant dried noodles