Ultimately, children learn by example.  My daughter was lucky - her school had a salad bar and I'd send things like string cheese and fruit with her too.  We always ate healthy meals at home - lots of vegetables - which she often didn't like.  We suffered through her food fads.  For instance, at age four, she decided that she would only eat white food.  She ate a lot of cottage cheese, oatmeal, and chicken breast for a few months until she got tired of it. 

My reward came when, on her first visit home from college, she requested steamed broccoli and complained about the junk food in the dining hall.  I guess whatever I did worked. 

I'm afraid I'm not up on the latest snack foods, so I'm no help with that question. 

The small packs of applesauce are a hit with my kids. Also, they now make small packs of peanut butter that kids can take along to dip their vegetables or fruit in.

At our house we have a snack box which has in it little bags of pretzels, cereal bars, puddings, fruit cups, raisins, dried fruit little boxes of cereal even bad little snacks like the little chocolate bars anything and the rule is one snack can be taken from there ( they think it is the treat box) and the other snack has to be a healthy snack and that is usually comes from the fridge.  It can be cheese, fresh fruit, vegetables, pita breads with the fruit in it or even cut up meat.  Kids do go through some terrible stages of food likes and dislikes (my granddaughter realized this year that meat was actually animals she was mortified being an amimal lover) Some kids will just not try things no matter how hard one tries. All the great examples don't work even in the same families. But been a grandma now I am proud to say I see my children making fruit and veggies an normal lunch box option.  Even juice is crazy when you think of how many fruit it takes to equal one juice.  Isn't water a wonderful thing! Thats what I grew up on we never had juice.  

I am a teacher and I do notice a lot of unhealthy snacks.  In my classroom we have healthy snack and I give the kids a tally up style reward. For example: 1 month of healthy snacks = a trip to the library during our free reading session - or they can have lunch with the teacher. etc ...it works rather well and they really strive to eat healthy.  Our class learned about calories/fat/fiber/sugars and they really worked on it.

Some of the healthy snacks:  yogurt, low sugar applesauce with raisins, carrots/celery with ranch dip, fresh fruit cups, string cheese, pretzels, individual size peanuts, apples and peanut butter, celery with cream cheese, cheese, crackers and grapes ( I am not kidding)

I have worked in schools from K -12 over the past 10 years and would like to point out what might be a possible oversight.  When students are in the cafeteria they are given a minimal amount of time to eat(some students are lucky to have a 25 min. lunch slot), must stay seated unless permission to even throw trash away is given, must incorporate bathroom time within the allotted lunch time period, and can not always (if ever) return to a locker or classroom to put away containers to keep such food safe for transport, which makes it difficult to bring prepared at home foods. 

I wish I could say that my son's lunchbox was filled with fruit and veggies. However, as a small child we learned he has severe food allergies. He had allergies to soy, nuts, pork, chicken, and eggs. He has since grown out of all but the egg and nut allergies. However, he was scared to death of trying new foods.  This is why I have had so much trouble getting him to try new foods or healthy snacks. He's still eating the same 6-7 foods that he was forced to live on when his allergies were so severe. If anyone has any tips, I'm listening. I have always struggled with weight, so has his dad. He is headed for disaster if I don't change things!!

i have to say i have watched mine  ( he is 10) in action! i will send fruit cups, apple sauce, pop corn, and the snack packs like some have mentioned. And oh yeah he will trade for any thing and everything. the kids will sit at the table lay out their food and call dibs! they will trade for 5 minutes before anyone opens a seal. I couldnt believe it. he says they always trade like that before eating even starts. needless to say mine ended up with an entirely different mean then what i packed.

I have to say, I am glad that I live in Italy.  School here is different.  The kids bring ONLY a snack to school because school gets out around 1:30 or something (granted, the kids go to school on saturday, but that just means when we have kids I will get saturday morning with my husband).  The kids go home for lunch.  We don't have kids yet, but we plan on making nearly everything that we give our kids to eat from scratch (even the baby food).  My husband loves to cook and I love to bake.  Together, we make the perfect team for teaching our kids healthy eating. 

Also, one advantage is that Italy has a lot less packaged food than America and the stuff that exists is pretty gross imo.

k bella,

I salute you and wish you the best is giving your kids healthy nutritional habits. Unfortunately Italy is catching up fast with northern Europe and North America. One only has to go to the supermarket and see the ever expanding merenda section or watch advertisements on childerns television... Kinder snacks, nutella, biscotti ringo, Captain Findus,  just to name a few. 

Child obesity is growing at an alarming rate in Italy as the traditional Mediterranean diet is substituted for more convenience food, and kids are spending free time with play station rather than physical play.

I agree with saxtond.  Things that need to be heated up are off the list. things that could go bad (yogurt, low-fat ranch dressing, cottage cheese, etc) I wouldn't send in the lunch because that little frozen pack won't keep things cool for 4-5 hours.  I always send grapes, bananas and often send string cheese because they won't go bad by warming up to room temp, but my son only likes his apples cut up and 4 hours in a lunchbox would make any cut apple unappetizing.   some of the veggies are okay, but my son isn't great at eating them without something to dip them in.

this issue isn't just about bad food, but about how to feed someone hours from now without a fridge or microwave.

Original Post by: kbella24

I have to say, I am glad that I live in Italy.  School here is different.  The kids bring ONLY a snack to school because school gets out around 1:30 or something (granted, the kids go to school on saturday, but that just means when we have kids I will get saturday morning with my husband).  The kids go home for lunch.  We don't have kids yet, but we plan on making nearly everything that we give our kids to eat from scratch (even the baby food).  My husband loves to cook and I love to bake.  Together, we make the perfect team for teaching our kids healthy eating. 

Also, one advantage is that Italy has a lot less packaged food than America and the stuff that exists is pretty gross imo.

I'm learning most other modern countries are much more health-concious than America. It's pretty sad. Makes me want to move.

My daughter eats string cheese, applesauce, fruit cups, yogurt, deli meats (chicken, turkey, and ham), nuts (most any kind), bananas, whole wheat bread and bagels. We're still trying to get her to eat more vegetables, but neither myself nor my husband are big veggie eaters, so we're not too pushy about it.

As with my own diet, it's all about balance.  I'm not going to outright ban chips, cookies or candy in my house.  I think that just leads to an overemphasis on the banned food and extreme overindulgence once the kid gets the freedom to choose for herself.

My 7YO daughter's lunch consists of half of a sandwich on whole wheat or other multigrain bread and fresh veggies, plus one snack.  The snack might be string cheese, but it might also be a cookie, cheetos, or candy.  Today she has a "fun size" Starburst in her lunch, which consists of two Starbursts and she's thrilled about it.

Balance.  Balance.  Balance.  Not freaking out about a little bit of processed food in our diet.

The increasing number of children with nut allergies, cuts the options a great deal. You can't give your children anything containing any nut products, to take to school.

And then our society wonders why our kids are "fat". When I was growing up and keep in mind Im only 31. Well, I bought hot lunch maybe 2 times a week but the rest of the days it was browned bag. My parents made me m lunch. I can remember tuna fish, turkey, roast beef, ham or peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches made at home. I had a bag of chips, a piece of fruit, and maybe one cookie or a jello. I grew up with home made lunches mostly. And I grew up a "healthy weight" Never have I been overweight. I think the reason why kids are so obese these days is because parents dont have time to make lunches so it easier for them to buy the pre packaged junk I see in the markets.When I pass these I thank god my parents never made me eat this. Just my opinion though. I dont mean to offend any of you who give your kids these foods.

~Sally

I can in fact say I have most  of the "Acceptable Snack List" and almost none of the "Unacceptable". The few things that I have in my pantry that is on the unacceptable list is brought into my home by outsiders.

Also, if your child is pretty thin and doesn't go overboard with fatty foods, whole milk products can be a good thing... In moderation.

unfortunately, most schools no longer allow peanut butter because of all the associated allergies.

I agree with lsunski on Balance, balance, balance.  We strive to feed our kids whole unprocessed foods and healthy snacks.  As I read the 'Weird Food List' I was proud that 99% of those things are items we send to school with them everyday.  (however I do feel that I don't want her to be the weird one but oh well)  That's where the balance comes in.  We treat her with an occasional fun snack like, a few m&ms in her popcorn, a prepared cracker/cookie snack bag or on a rare occasion potato chips.  She is more excited about that and she appreciates the treats.

We have also had to enforce rules about snacks and juice boxes after school.  If she hasn't finished her fruit or lunch, she must first do that in order to get something fun.  This just ensures us that she is getting the good stuff while teaching her the importance of getting the vitamins/minerals to becoming strong and healthy. 

Growing up I was banned from eating convenience foods and I think that really hurt me when i left for college b/c I went 'hog wild' as some would say.  The more parents stick to healthy eating habits the sooner the 'Weird Food List' will become the 'Normal/Cool Food list' 

I love this blog.  It's been a concern of mine for a while now.  As I start to have more and more friends with school age children, I'm shocked at how some of my friends pack their kids lunches.  I'm not just talking once in a while.  I'm talking every day...cheese crackers, cookies, chips, even those processed and frozen Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches in a box (white bread, of course).  I think they are called Uncrustables or something.

Anyway, I don't feel like it is my place to say anything to them, but I see these kids' parents (my friends) struggling with their weight and it kills me that they don't even see that they are passing on these bad habits to their kids.

Once your child is old enough to have a decent grasp on math, how about teaching them to read the nutrition label and figure out what is acceptable on their own? That way they can make the right choice even when you aren't around.

To kbella and the other parents posting about sending their kids to school with healthy food and teaching their kids healthy eating habits, I just wanted to comment that some kids are very stubborn! Speaking as a now-adult former child of healthy eaters who fed me home-made hummus, veggies and home-baked wheat bread for lunches as a small child, I will tell you that my greatest desire as an older kid was to eat nothing but the processed junk the other kids ate. I was a willful child, and I insisted on eating exactly what I pleased, which was NOT weird home-made food. So, when I have kids, I'll try too, but there is only so much that you can do.

The teacher's helper at my school commented to my nanny one day that we should be giving my 5-yo better snacks. We give healthy snacks, home-made muffins, fruit leather, fruits, veggies, milks etc... The helper indicated we should give snacks "like the other kids". I got really irritated and called the teacher. The teacher thought that the helper's comments were "lost in translation". A few weeks later they brought in a nutritionaist to talk to the kids about healthy snacks. Not sure if anything got through to the helper.

We fill our kids up with processed foods and then wonder why our kids have unhealthy relationships w food and why so many children are developing "adult"-type diseases early on in life. If we don't set the example early, how do we expect our kids to have a healthy relationship with food as they grow older?

I totally think that kids should be kids, we do make home-made cookies and other "treats", but everything in moderation. I couldn't eat 5 snack packs in one day and feel energized , healthy, and ready to learn!

Original Post by: triciamused

I agree with saxtond.  Things that need to be heated up are off the list. things that could go bad (yogurt, low-fat ranch dressing, cottage cheese, etc) I wouldn't send in the lunch because that little frozen pack won't keep things cool for 4-5 hours.  I always send grapes, bananas and often send string cheese because they won't go bad by warming up to room temp, but my son only likes his apples cut up and 4 hours in a lunchbox would make any cut apple unappetizing.   some of the veggies are okay, but my son isn't great at eating them without something to dip them in.

this issue isn't just about bad food, but about how to feed someone hours from now without a fridge or microwave.

A good alternative for keeping sliced or cut up apples from browning is to put powdered jello on them.  Slice apples or cut into bite size pieces and put in a container or a zip-lock bag and then shake in powdered sugar free fat free jello.  Shake the bag/container until the apples are completely covered and voila a healthy apple snack that doesn't require any sugary dips.  I like to try the different flavors anything from cherry to orange to strawberry kiwi.  (I use about half a small packet of jello to one medium apple.)

Another alternative to keep apple/banana slices from browning is to coat them in citrus juice, like lemon.

At my daughter's school....Its a MANDATE that no lunch can contain any "unhealthy" food...No candies, cupcakes, cookies, etc...This also includes birthday celebrations.  At first I was not very happy that my daughter could not have a cupcake on her birthday with her friends @ school but she does not even miss it now!  I applaude the school for taking such a strong stance and in the long run, its CHEAPER to pack a lunch with more nutritious food in it!  We just converted over to Sunflower Butter and my kids don't know the difference!  I would approach your children's school about taking a similar stance against unhealthy food for lunches.  We need to be a healthier America!

Has anyone tried those vaccum sealable sandwich bags to keep the food fresh until lunch? I have tried it on my own lunches and they work pretty well keeping food fresh when you have to store it outside a fridge for several hours. (Works wonders on sliced apples). The bags aren't terribly expensive and the vaccum pumps run as little as $10.

My husband and I pack our lunches and have stopped buying the snack packs.  I did the math and it is much cheaper to buy a big bag, weigh out a serving and use tupperware or a baggie.  At the end of the month packing our lunches saves us about $150 EACH!  It is also much easier to pack for an extra long day - if we have an after work meeting an extra half sandwhich helps save those calories that would otherwise be "spent" on a bag of Cheetos purchased at the nearest convenience store.  This again saves money - I can spend 50c on a half sandwich or I can spend $1.29 on chips.  Easy decision.

Great story!  Keep up the good work fellow calorie counters!

Original Post by: sourmena

To kbella and the other parents posting about sending their kids to school with healthy food and teaching their kids healthy eating habits, I just wanted to comment that some kids are very stubborn! Speaking as a now-adult former child of healthy eaters who fed me home-made hummus, veggies and home-baked wheat bread for lunches as a small child, I will tell you that my greatest desire as an older kid was to eat nothing but the processed junk the other kids ate. I was a willful child, and I insisted on eating exactly what I pleased, which was NOT weird home-made food. So, when I have kids, I'll try too, but there is only so much that you can do.

I agree that some kids can be very stubborn, believe me mine have started to show a backbone.  Our outlook is that life is about choices, not just with the foods we eat.  A recent example, they have a dinner plate with vegi ratatoille and brown rice.  The immediate reaction was 'That looks disgusting'.  Well your choice is, eat it or don't.  I know that sounds extreme BUT i'm not making another meal.  Nine out of ten times they finish it and enjoy it.  (Finish meaning they eat an approved portion of what's there, I'm not a big fan of clearing your plate).  I have also learned that they may not like everything new I present the first, second or even third time and we don't make them finish it, just try it.  If they make a choice to try new things, eat what is prepared, I may give them a choice between going for a swim after dinner, staying up 5-10 min later or on occasion a pudding pop. 

As we go along and grow as parents we are learning little tricks here and there that help in this area.  We would love for this will be a smooth ride through the next 14-18 years but I'm sure we will cross a few temporary road blocks.  We are just hoping that by teaching them about choices now they won't be as inclined to sneak out for fast food at lunch hour like I used to in high school. 

Though I definitely agree that 5 or 6 of these high in fat snacks are not the way to go. I really don't see anything wrong with the kids having a healthy lunch and then a little Debbie snack for dessert. I am 23 years old and my mom would send me with a wheat bread, low fat turkey, miracle whipped sandwich and carrot sticks when I was 5 years old, no drink. She told me to drink out of the water fountain because water was healthier and wouldn't make me fat like milk would. I remember looking at other people's lunches and wishing I could have a cookie just every once and awhile. I also got made fun of an awful lot.

 I was never even close to being over weight until I was 21 years old. So when I was a child weight was not an issue. It was an issue for my mother and she wanted to prevent it so bad with my sisters and I that she NEVER let us have anything fun. So when I turned 18 guess what I did I went out and ate everything my mother would not let me have in large portions (most likely in a subconscious attempt to make up for years lost) and I hit my over weight mark at 22 years old. Thankfully I found this site and am now maintaining a healthy weight. :)

Where I am going with all of this is...I do not think that snacks or desserts in moderation are such an awful thing. Maybe have them have a healthy lunch all week and then on Friday pack a pudding cup for them as a treat. One pudding cup a week is not going to kill anyone. Snacks are not the enemy unless you make them the enemy. I agree with eating healthy but kids should be allowed to have a little treat every now and then. One treat a week won't make the child fat. :)

Everything in moderation.

My kids are 7 and almost 6, (the baby at almost 5 is at home) lunches consist of deli sandwiches, tuna sandwiches, and peanut butter & Jelly.  I give them a baggie with veggies w/dip made out of fat free sourcream and the hidden valley ranch packets (they love it).  They always get a fruit., and they're treat is the Truenorth pecan almond clusters from Sams Club(they're very good) or the organic horizon popcycle yogurt sticks.  For drinks they get milk, soymilk, sometimes 100% juice or chocolate milk. If they don't eat their veggies which only happend once this year I told them they would not be getting their "treat" that being some cocoa dusted almonds or the yogurts.  A few times out of the month they eat lunch at school, we look through the menu and pick the best options.   I wrote their teachers a note saying that we watch very careful what our kids eat and any treats given out to give them to the kids to bring home and we'd give it to them in moderation or maybe not, (no partially hydrogenated fats/fructose...etc).  However, I did allow them to have a half of a cupcake during someones birthday.  I'm doing my best to give them good eating choices as well as treats here and there. Still looking for different lunch options though, but since they're unable to heat food up at school it limits what to pack.  

You know, I just have to say that as a child and even now I always wished that I had health freak parents, that wouldn't allow sugar into the house whatsoever and only allowed organic food. I have this one friend whos parents are very healthy and she hates it. Whenever she comes over to my house she eats lots of the junk food that my parents keep in the house. In my house we have an entire drawer just for candy, and its plenty full! and we also have an entire cupboard for chips! It's absolutley terrible! I can't stand my parents eating habits one bit, and whenever I want to eat healthy they frown upon me. They always make fun of me for eating little and only wanting to eat healthy things. I can't stand it! I don't eat any of their food. In fact I make most of my own meals (Except tonight my mother is going to make spaghetti with non whole wheat noodles. If I don't eat a large serving, which will be around 1000calories since its white noodles, they'll make a rude comment and say that I have to stop trying to be healthy all the time and enjoy myself. Except I've always hated spaghetti so I can't see why they think I'll enjoy it) I'm planning on just telling my parents I don't want their food tonight and making my own HEALTHY food.

I've been a vegetarian for the past year as well (My parents finally let me be one since I've wanted to be one since I was a little child but they said not until I'm old enough), but being a vegetarian makes it easier for me to not have to eat their food and make my own healthy food.

But any of the kids out their who have parents who pack their lunches and make sure they are healthy are so incredibly lucky!

Also, I believe that the whole balance balance balance thing is stupid. Not to offend anyone. But my mother always says that balance is important and I have to eat junk food every once in a while. But the problem is that I don't want to eat it! My rule for food is that I only eat it if I actually want to eat it, otherwise it's just wasted calories.

Original Post by: rollayesenia

My kids are 7 and almost 6, (the baby at almost 5 is at home) lunches consist of deli sandwiches, tuna sandwiches, and peanut butter & Jelly.  I give them a baggie with veggies w/dip made out of fat free sourcream and the hidden valley ranch packets (they love it).  They always get a fruit., and they're treat is the Truenorth pecan almond clusters from Sams Club(they're very good) or the organic horizon popcycle yogurt sticks.  For drinks they get milk, soymilk, sometimes 100% juice or chocolate milk. If they don't eat their veggies which only happend once this year I told them they would not be getting their "treat" that being some cocoa dusted almonds or the yogurts.  A few times out of the month they eat lunch at school, we look through the menu and pick the best options.   I wrote their teachers a note saying that we watch very careful what our kids eat and any treats given out to give them to the kids to bring home and we'd give it to them in moderation or maybe not, (no partially hydrogenated fats/fructose...etc).  However, I did allow them to have a half of a cupcake during someones birthday.  I'm doing my best to give them good eating choices as well as treats here and there. Still looking for different lunch options though, but since they're unable to heat food up at school it limits what to pack.  

rollayesenia,

I have to say after reading this you are an amazing parent! Your kids will thank you in the future, and I wish my parents would have done the same for me when I was younger.

At my childrens' school they are asked to eat the healthy snacks first (assuming there is one) and the cookies/cakes/granola bars at last recess.  Fortunately our school is NOT peanut free (knock on wood) and my kids can take PB and J sandwiches, or heated leftovers in a thermos.

We do, however, let them take granola bars, or fruit in syrup, but they are also encouraged NOT to bring the video games or other toys that provide an excuse to sit down on the playground and not get up and moving.  The snacks by themselves are not the only reason that children are not healthy.  The school offers hot lunch only twice a month, and the milk program is daily, selling 2% milk or 1% chocolate milk.  On other days they take boxed apple or orange juice.

The "unacceptable Snack List" in moderation should be allowed, but children should also be encouraged to get up and move during their recesses.

I strongly believe that parents can control what their kids eat, but it has to start early.  I made my own baby food.  At one year of age my kids, now 9 and 11, were eating pretty much what we were eating.  I  feel that making your own baby food gives a child the pallate for real food.  Even the best packaged baby food does not taste like the real food.  It really was not hard to make.  I am an adventurous cook and like to cook healthy food.  My kids would rather take leftovers for lunch than sandwiches.  Unfortunately, other kids will look at them funny and make comments when they bring in things like whole grain taboulle  with grilled Mahi Mahi and a side spinach salad or pesto chicken with whole grain pasta, etc.  For now, my kids don't mind.  They end up telling kids that it's quite good. They will also take in healthy sandwiches occasionally.  I also pack veggies and fruit.  I do, however, sometimes pack  100 calorie snack packs.  Some are actually on the healthy list.  I feel that after all the healthy food, a little treat is not a big deal.

I remember going to primary school in the early 00s, this time most likely the beginning of an increasing popularity of convenience snack packs in Europe. As young children we constantly judged each other over the contents of our meals, and I was always one of the lesser cool kids at the table for my parents placed much emphasis on providing me with healthy and organic food. Although everything I received was eaten with good appetite, I remember silently cursing my parents as I watched the other kids exchange glittering packs of sweeties and colourful slices of pre-packaged cake. My lunches consisted of boxed soya milk and creatively layered wholewheat sandwiches (each day a different recipe!), snacks being two pieces of fruit and perhaps a handful of granola. No one wanted to touch my lunch, so I was always envious of those who were part of a social circle sampling the variety of unhealthy junk foods. However...now as a teen I fully appreciate my parents' concentration for packing conscious lunches, for I find that I am much more acquired to eating healthy foods than my peers!

Ok, this one hits home for me - only it's my HUSBAND who packs these types of snacks in his lunch. Not only is it unhealthy - it's expensive to keep buying all these prepackaged processed icky snacks. In my husband's typical lunch he takes this: 1 box of a Lean Cusine frozen dinner, 1 mixed fruit cup (in light syrup), 1 snack pack of a cracker (like Cheese Its), and 1 snack pack of a cookie (like mini Chips Ahoy).

He is very content with this and takes pretty much the same lunch everyday (which I would poke my eye out from boredom). His rationality for all this is that "It's better than eating McDonald's" - which was pretty much his diet before we lived together.

I've been able to get him to make small changes in his lunch habits (he used to take the Hungry Man Fried Chicken meals), but there is still a LONG way to go!!! 

The thing that kills me is that when he goes to his doctor, all his tests come back totally normal - so I can't even really make a health argument. I do most of the grocery shopping, but if I don't buy the garbage on his list - he just makes a trip to get it himself. Oh, and he doesn't really care for leftovers, so if I pack something, it stays in the fridge.

What can I do to tweak his habits, but not be a nag? HELP!!

Original Post by: triciamused

I agree with saxtond.  Things that need to be heated up are off the list. things that could go bad (yogurt, low-fat ranch dressing, cottage cheese, etc) I wouldn't send in the lunch because that little frozen pack won't keep things cool for 4-5 hours.  I always send grapes, bananas and often send string cheese because they won't go bad by warming up to room temp, but my son only likes his apples cut up and 4 hours in a lunchbox would make any cut apple unappetizing.   some of the veggies are okay, but my son isn't great at eating them without something to dip them in.

this issue isn't just about bad food, but about how to feed someone hours from now without a fridge or microwave.

I send cut-up apples in a short thermos and I fill it with apple juice.  My daughter drinks the juice and then eats the apples.  The juice keeps the apples from turning brown

I ALWAYS take a 100 calorie pack of Justin's Maple Almond Butter to work with me. I used to eat it with an apple but now i'm so addicted I just eat it right out of the pack! Less calories that way too!=) 

When my son was in elementary I not only volunteer in the class ,but was also a lunch monitor and was shocked to see the lunche some of these children brought to school ,for an examle there was the all choc kid who also had ADD and a mom who didn't knew how to control him....go figure,there was the only cheese sandwich{good}but always had a pepsi/coke, chipsand other surgery treat,it was amazong the stuff I seen and the recess treats were only candy did.t matteer if it was morning or not

Me n my husband love our chips and I control this buy buying this junk food on non shopping days and put away,how I gain the weight,lol

My son was raised on lean meats,salmon ,veggies ,fruit and whole grains ,he was breast fed till 21/1 only had milk or water juices were bought at age 5 and were 100%,he does not like condiments,sauces or dressing but will only eat 100 natural PB on his rice or sandwiches for whole grain pasta ,he leats it but me putting a can of sodium freem can of tomatoes,then fill can up with water boil it and he never had enough along with fresh basil sprinkle on top ,he hates some of the green veggies I cook but he will eat it ,he know loves cheese strings but not the brick cheese ,I never bought process foods,KD,Alfie etc was told I he was picki people never realize he hates those foods along with can veggies for how he was raised he is 11,is allowed the odd treat for I too have a treat container for him and I buy those mini choc for he just started liking them but a mini size is enoughI too like them at times,lol set an exmle it is never to late and u'r child will follow for out of site out of hands,as for pop 1x a month I take him for a walk to buy a Slurpee,only sm and he is happy with it so it is all in modiration ,my friend told me her son insist of having all these snack foods and when they go shopping since her hubby was gone 4x days wk and when he was home she wanted it to be family time not shopping my suggestion was drop him of here,I will watch him ,he was 20 lbs overweight and it was  only ging up ,so she did and bought a few since stopping all at once and being in JRHIGH he can go else to get his junk ,well 6 months lated he has what my child has i lil snack ,lost 8 pounds and feeling better with himself and no longer is the number 1 fat kid in class ya kids are cruel....

Sorry long post,lol

Just a comment from the other side of the fence.  You think it's hard trying to keep your kid from eating junk food, try having a kid who is supposed to eat it, but prefers "healthy" food!

 

My daughter has Cystic Fibrosis, and one of her major issues is weight gain.  (CFers don't process food the way the rest of us do, as they have limited or no enzymes coming from their pancreas to their intestinal tract.)  She's supposed to eat 2000 calories a day at age 9.  (I'm eating 1500 in an attempt to lose weight, and my husband doesn't care what he eats.)

 

All those foods on the bad list are things she's supposed to eat, and the more fat, the better.  High fat, high protein, high calorie, high salt content foods.  And what are her favorite things?  Strawberries (fresh, plain); tuna (plain, on crackers); and tomatoes (fresh, plain).  It's enough to make a mother go crazy.  We have started keeping a basket of calorie-laden snacks in the kitchen with stuff that's approved for her snacks (and I have to remind her it's snack time, and she still sometimes complains about it!)

 

What makes it really difficult is that I'm desperately trying to lose weight (doing pretty good, actually...as of this morning I'm down to 187.8 from 202 on June 6th...slow, but steady).  I have to look at all her "yummy" snacks and tell myself that I really don't need those, and that they won't really taste as good as I think they will, and it's sometimes really really hard for me to ignore them.  Hard part with her is getting her to eat enough during the day to hopefully get close to her weight goal the next time we have to go get her weighed.  Add in a hubby whose dietary habits are what hers should be...and his shouldn't...making meals in my house is difficult.

 

I don't agree with schools mandating what the kids attending them can eat (or wear, for that matter).  That's ridiculous, and a violation of a person's freedoms.  (Nobody says you only have the freedom to do "smart" things.)  And not every child should eat like the food pyramid says they should.  Every time my daughter came home from school with those health sheets, we'd have to spend an evening explaining to her why other kids had to eat that way and she didn't.  At 9, my daughter probably knows more about what fuels a body than most adults do.  She's very good at knowing what foods contain proteins and fats that she should be eating (not that she's necessarily going to comply with that all the time...she's stubborn).

 

Anyhow, sorry for the rant, just a bit frustrated trying to shove calories down her while avoiding shoving them down me.

I don't understand why kids cant have a healthy lunch that is very quick and easy to throw together. My 5yo daughter goes to school every day with 3 pieces of fruit (usually an apple, banana, and mandarin) and they get given more fruit at school too. and she gets 1 and a half sandwiches made on whole grain bread (that's all I've ever had in my house so she now doesn't even like white bread), and then she is aloud one muesli bar and a packet of either water crackers or pretzels or nuts etc. and a biscuit. Every Sunday I take a loaf of bread out and make it into sandwiches with things like jam, marmite,honey, peanut butter, etc. on them. I then wrap them in lots like I would for her lunchbox, put them in a large snap-lock bag and freeze them. It takes me no more than 20 mins max and then I just grab one lot out of the freezer each morning for school. they keep her lunch box cool, they are defrosted by lunchtime, and the bread is nice and soft and fresh and does not dry out. so it takes me about 2 mins, if that, in the morning to throw her lunch together and the teachers always say her lunch is so healthy. the only thing I don't add in that I should is yogurt and that's because we live on a very tight budget and when I can afford to I will buy a 1kg lot of plain yogurt and put it in smaller containers. When I do this I put the little container in the freezer the night b4, just b4 I go to bed, then put it in her lunch box the next day and it stays cold until lunch by which time it has finished defrosting so u don't even need an ice pack. This also works for the little snap off 6 packs that you get, just make sure u only put it in the night b4 you need it as the longer it is in the freezer the more solidly frozen it becomes and the longer it takes to defrost. Also, I sometimes add a few choc chips (not even a teaspoon full) to the yogurt, this way its not plain and its still way better than the flavoured stuff you buy and my daughter loves trying to find all the choc chips.

Hope some of that helps someone out there ^.^

Hey, I'm in high school and i have to say, it's definitely easier to keep a good lunch with me now than it was in middle school.

What I really wanted to say is to keep apples fresh and not browned at all, just squeeze a lemon into the baggy. I'm always surprised at how many people don't do this -- it leaves them fresh and crispy and the lemon tastes so GOOD with it :)

I like bringing a thermos with any hot food in it, and I will pack a salad with an ice pack. If the problem is packing and carrying the lunches rather than that your child refuses to eat certain foods, you can find lots of lunchbos and cooler/thermos options. An ice pack or two does fine for keeping yogurt, salads, cheese, fruit, really anything cool enough (keep in mind this is coming from someone who's lunch stays out of the fridge for 5 hours)

I think this post is somewhat inappropriate. I do agree that we should not send children to school with Little Debbie cakes and fried chicken, but I also believe that it is inappropriate to insist on nothing but celery sticks, nonfat yogurt, and whole-wheat no-taste crackers in your kid's lunch. Yes, this lunch is healthy and low-calorie, but guess what? Kids need calories! Remember when packing for your kid that s/he may not have the same weight loss needs that you do.

What is healthy for you may be insufficient energy for your kid. They need a somewhat hearty lunch to get through an active day. Even overweight kids need more nutrients and calories on a weight loss plan than an adult would.

So a chocolate-chip cookie in my lunch, baked with love by my mother, is a cardinal sin?

bundt^ I totally wanted to say the same thing but didn't in fear of begin snapped at. I was thinking along the same lines, and that introducing the "all-or-nothing" concept to your child isn't much better than encouraging unhealthy eating habits.

I think it's much more reasonable, effective, and sensible to pack a healthy lunch that has fruits, veggies, starches, protein, fiber, everything your kid needs -- plus a small treat. One cookie, a miniature chocolate bar, a lollipop, even a slice of cake; it all balances out to be a healthy lunch, and I don't think you would be teaching healthy choices if you didn't teach how do be able to eat a little bit of everything, even "junk" food. It's ok, it's not a "sin", it's fun.

My favorite thing I loved when my mom pakced my lunches? A note cut in the shape of a heart that reminded me how much she loves me. A little "hello" in the middle of the day. That made any lunch the best lunch in the world.

When my kiddos were little, they ate veggies for me, but only a few raw.  Carrots, celery, broccoli (they called them little trees), cauliflower (also little white flowers) and cherry tomatos.  They ate fruit anyway I'd give it to them as a treat.  (we were poor people and fruit was a treat)  I'd buy fruit cocktail and rinse the syrup off and repack them in little cups. 

The trick was to get all my little containers back.  I sent homemade soup in thermos.  I froze their water to keep the rest of the food cool.

Thank you bundt_royale I agree. (see my post further up)

Most of us know what it is like to be over weight or at least struggle with keeping a healthy weight. Of course no one wants their kids to suffer with the same issues. But some people are so scared of their kid becoming over weight that they take it to the extreme. Let me tell you that almost always back fires. The kids will resent you for it and end up eating more junk as an adult.

Teach kids healthy habits yes! But they can and should have treats every once and awhile! Even little pioneer girls had candy every now and then.

Everything in Moderation.

 

jjanaid,

Can they not take peanut products in their own lunch box?

reeree,

Please don't take what I am saying as criticism, because, it sounds like you are doing a great job with your kids.  I also only made one meal and the kids could either eat or go hungry.  I didn't make food they didn't like on purpose.

what I did notice is that you give the kids pudding pops if they try the "nasty food".  I had to unlearn to treat myself or comfort myself with food I like.  I love your attitude and willingness to feed your kids new foods and sticking with your guns.

cmpoth,

Forget it.  No one changes until they are ready.  Would you like someone nagging you to change?  No, you'd resent it and so will he.  When my hubbie would nag me I'd just eat in secret.

pballerina,

The little bento boxes are becoming more popular in the US.  You can put healthy lunches together and they look pretty.  Seems especially tweens and younger teen girls would like this.

In Japan, I hear, the girls compete by fixing pretty lunches for a guy they like.

Reduced-fat triscuits work nicely.