Creating a Healthy Brown Bag Lunch
In the past almost all brown bag lunches contained a fruit. Back in the day moms would drop a shiny red apple or a blemish free orange in the bag. The fruit that mom packed would often times crush the sandwich in the middle every time. Fruit is still an essential part of a brown bag lunch. The great thing about taking fruit in your lunch now is that it can be packed without flattening the main course, your sandwich.
Slicing the fruit will prevent that sandwich from being smashed. If you choose to slice apples you will want to douse them in some lemon juice after slicing them. This helps to stop the browning process. What child wants to open a container at school and see brown spots on their apple? Besides the chances of a child eating brown apples will decrease, so do whatever it takes to keep them looking fresh. On the other hand oranges do not turn colors, but choosing seedless varieties make it less likely that a child will swallow the seeds and possibly choke.
Raisins, dates, prunes and dried fruits are other good fruit options. The drying process of fruits makes them sweeter because this process concentrates the natural sugars. Children will think that you've added something special to their lunch and that they are getting away with eating something overly sweet. This is a great way to get them to eat more of the healthy stuff which benefits everyone concerned.
Try adding pretzels instead of chips. Pretzels aren't just the dark brown twists with salt on top. Pretzels come in a variety of sizes and flavors. There are pretzel sticks, small twists and little nuggets. Some of the different flavors are honey mustard, plain honey and cheddar. The maker of Pringles has even created a thin crispy pretzel stick that makes an easy snack to munch on.
Nuts have always been criticized because of their fat content. But, as many of us know, fats are not equal and the fat in nuts is actually good for you. Many people prefer peanuts or pecans but almonds are also good to eat. The fat content of peanuts and pecans is considerably high, but you don't have to eat an entire container. You can fill a little sandwich bag with a serving or two of nuts and eat them as a snack anytime of the day.
Two other great additions to a brown bag lunch are pudding and applesauce. You can buy these two delicious snacks in pre-packaged portions from the store. With these pre-packaged portions you can get a sweet treat in specific proportions. These goodies also come in sugar-free forms as well which adds to the health factor. Another great option is Jell-O, which also comes in single serve containers. Who doesn't love the jiggly stuff?
Who says that eating healthy can't be fun or tasty? Healthy brown bag lunches have come along way. Today there are flavors everyone can enjoy and that are healthy too.
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