Packing punch

Penny Slabaugh has a fussy eater for a son, so making his lunch every day is an exercise in trying to balance good nutrition with giving the 11-year-old something he’ll want to eat.

Eating lunch provided by his school just isn’t an option.

“Nine out of 10 times he won’t like what they have,” said Slabaugh of Livonia. “He’d rather just have me do it.”

So she wakes up at 4:30 every school morning to make lunch for her son, Jeremy Hamilton, herself and her husband, James Slabaugh.

“I try to pick the few things that are good for him that he likes,” Slabaugh said.

And, for the most part, she’s getting it right, giving him celery sticks or carrot sticks on alternate days and compromising on Jeremy’s desire for pop by giving him juice.

Too often, though, parents who pack their kids’ lunches struggle to make the best choices for their children, opting more for convenience.

And with the number of obese children on the rise in the United States, nutrition experts say parents must play a key role in helping their children eat healthy.

“The biggest mistake both parents and students make is sticking to high-fat, high-sodium, low-fiber, highly processed, quick items that just get stuffed in the lunch bag,” said Nick Drzal, nutrition consultant for the Michigan Department of Education.

A study published in 2001 found that — after looking at the lunch habits of 500 children in southeast Michigan — the lunches kids got at school were more healthy than the lunches kids brought from home. School lunches must adhere to federal nutrition guidelines.

Dr. Alice Jo Rainville, associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at Eastern Michigan University and spokeswoman for the School Nutrition Association, conducted the study, looking at children in 10 schools in Michigan’s Ann Arbor and Van Buren public school systems.

The school lunches offered more fruits and vegetables, were lower in fat, higher in vitamins, lower in sugar and had more variety. The homemade lunches tended to be low on fruits and vegetables and high on snack foods like sweets and chips.

“They’re easy to pack, but low in nutrition,” Rainville said.

Lottie Parker’s four children usually eat school lunches, but her oldest, Illa, a sixth-grader, sometimes gets migraines after eating certain foods. So some days she brings her own lunch.

“I try and put something that’s healthy in there, but I also put something in there that she likes so she’ll eat it,” said Parker of Pontiac, Mich.

Like parent, like child

Slabaugh focuses on good nutrition in her own life and hopes it’ll rub off on Jeremy.

“If he hears it enough, if I’ve pounded it into his head enough, he has no choice,” she said.

It’s here that parents play a key role, teaching their children to eat healthy by doing so themselves.

“If the parent at home never eats any vegetables or healthy food, the kids won’t. If the parent chooses variety and does not eat those junk foods, then the kids will learn,” said Dr. Cathy Jen, a professor in the department of nutrition and food science at Wayne State University.

“If it’s in your home and that’s what you have to eat for snacks, your child will eat it,” Rainville said. “You have to set up your environment to be nutritious.”

Students generally learn about the food pyramid and healthy eating in kindergarten or first grade, so it’s important for parents to build on those lessons, said Linda Stull, a registered dietitian with the Michigan department of education.

But, “we’re too busy. We’re working and we’re running our kids to events. You barely have time to put a lunch together.”

So Stull suggests parents who make their kids’ lunch find a few minutes once a week to sit down with their child and plan a menu.

The parents will learn what their kids like to eat, the kids will feel like they’re making choices and the discussions will allow both to figure out ways to compromise.

Stull, for instance, also has a picky eater.

“I have to wheel and deal with her. I tell her, `Honey, I’ll give you a brownie, but it’s going to be a tiny brownie. And I’ll also give you grapes,’” said Stull, who lives in Commerce Township, Mich.

Jen has made similar bargains with her son, now 16. He likes only Wonder Bread and though Jen the nutritionist knows that whole grain bread or multigrain bread is the best, she’ll compromise. He gets the Wonder Bread, but he also has to eat fruit.

Moderation is key

The nutrition experts say parents need not eliminate chips, sweets, juices and other snack foods from their child’s diet. Moderation is key.

“There’s no bad food. You can eat any food. But keep it in check. Once in a while, give them a small bag of potato chips. But every day? No,” Jen said.

She puts that philosophy to use at home.

“I’ll put two cookies in my son’s lunch bag,” Jen said. “But I won’t do four or five.”

Slabaugh’s early rise to make lunches doesn’t change when the school year ends. Jeremy attends summer programs at a local YMCA, so she keeps making those lunches.

Sometimes she’ll include a hard salami sandwich, something the nutritionists might frown upon because the salami — and bologna for that matter — is high in fat. But on other days, Slabaugh makes Jeremy a turkey sandwich.

Rounding out the lunch usually are mozzarella sticks, Ritz crackers or Wheat Thins, a fruit roll or fruit chew, and an ice pack to keep the food from spoiling.

There are some things Slabaugh would love to change, such as substituting water for the juice and adding some fresh fruit.

She just hopes the lessons Jeremy is learning now will carry over when he enters high school, and has more choice over what he eats.

“It’ll stick with him,” she said.

This lunch won’t get traded. Mini taco shells scoop up chicken salad spiked with salsa and cheddar cheese.

Scoop-It-Up Chicken Salad

From “Kid Favorites Made Healthy” by Better Homes and Gardens (Better Homes and Gardens, $19.95).

1/3 cup chopped or shredded cooked chicken or turkey

2 tablespoons chopped or thinly sliced celery

1 tablespoon light mayonnaise or salad dressing

1 tablespoon salsa

1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese

4 mini taco shells

In small bowl combine the chicken, celery, mayonnaise, salsa and cheese. Toss to mix. Spoon it into a container and cover it tightly.

Wrap the taco shells in plastic wrap. Pack the chicken salad and taco shells in an insulated bag with an ice pack.

To eat, use the taco shells to scoop up the salad.

Yield: 1 serving

Nutrition per serving: 248 calories, 13 grams fat, (3 grams saturated, 47 percent fat), 18 grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrate, 52 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber, 342 milligrams sodium.

Look for wonton wrappers in the produce section of most grocery stores. Layer the wrappers with garlic, basil and Parmesan cheese for chips that provide big flavor and limited fat.

Crispy Cheese Chips

From “Kid Favorites Made Healthy” by Better Homes and Gardens (Better Homes and Gardens, $19.95).

30 wonton wrappers

Nonstick cooking spray

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil or Italian seasoning, crushed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut the wonton wrappers diagonally in half to make 60 triangles.

Lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Arrange one-third of the triangles in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. If you want to make ruffled chips, line the baking sheet with foil. Shape the foil to make ridges. Lightly coat the foil with cooking spray. Place the wonton triangles on the foil, draping them over the foil ridges.

In a small bowl stir together the olive oil, garlic and basil. Lightly brush the wonton triangles with one-third of the oil mixture; sprinkle with one-third of the cheese.

Bake about 8 minutes or until golden. Remove the chips from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining wonton triangles, oil mixture and cheese.

Yield: 60 chips

Nutrition per serving (4 chips): 69 calories (31 percent from fat), 2 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 10 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein, 112 mg sodium, 3 mg cholesterol, 24 mg calcium, 0 grams fiber.

You can substitute spaghetti for the Chinese noodles. This dish can be served warm or cold, packed into individual containers for lunches. Be sure to keep it cold with an ice pack.

Chinese Sesame Noodles

From “Disney’s Family Cookbook: Irresistible Recipes for You and Your Kids” by Deanna F. Cook (Disney Editions, $24.95).

1/4 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter or sesame paste

1/2 cup hot water

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey

1 clove garlic, peeled, crushed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 pound cooked Chinese noodles

4 green onions, washed, ends removed, cut into 1/2 -inch pieces

Mung bean sprouts, optional

Chopped peanuts, optional

In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter with the hot water until the mixture is creamy.

Whisk in the soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger.

Add the noodles.

Top with green onions, sprouts and peanuts. Serve warm or cold.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrition per serving: 264 calories (10 percent from fat), 3 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 56 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein, 947 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 26 mg calcium, 1 gram fiber.

This recipe combines two kid favorites — oatmeal and peanut butter — into one great-tasting cookie. Using reduced-fat peanut butter and egg whites in place of whole eggs keeps the fat content low.

Lunch Box Oatmeal Cookies

From “Kid Favorites Made Healthy” by Better Homes and Gardens (Better Homes and Gardens, $19.95).

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup reduced-fat peanut butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds or until combined.

Add the sugar, brown sugar and baking soda. Beat until combined and creamed together, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, about 3 minutes.

Beat in the egg whites and vanilla until combined.

Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer.

Stir in any remaining flour and the oats.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are golden.

Remove from the oven and let stand on the baking sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Yield: 40 cookies

Nutrition per cookie: 69 calories, 4 grams fat, (1 gram saturated, 45 percent fat calories), 2 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrate, 6 milligrams cholesterol, no fiber, 53 milligrams sodium.

These sticks are a way to get vegetables into kids’ lunches. These are tasty served hot or cold.

Zucchini Sticks

From “Better Food for Kids” by Daina Kalnins, Joanne Saab (Robert Rose, $17.95).

Nonstick cooking spray

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried sage, Italian seasoning or basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 medium zucchini, cut into 3-by- 1/2 -inch sticks

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

On a shallow plate or pie dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, sage, salt and pepper; mix well.

Place the eggs in another bowl or shallow dish.

Dip the zucchini sticks in the eggs, then in the bread crumb mixture and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.

Drizzle the sticks lightly with the oil and bake for 20 minutes or until the sticks are lightly browned, turning them over once halfway through the baking time.

Remove them from the oven and serve warm or cool.

Yield: About 60 sticks

Nutrition per stick: 12 calories (73 percent from fat), 1 gram fat (0 grams sat. fat), 1 gram carbohydrate, 0 grams protein, 10 mg sodium, 1 mg cholesterol, 4 mg calcium, 0 grams fiber.

Ingredients for a healthy lunch

A sandwich

Canned or fresh fruit

Veggies like baby carrots or celery

Skim or low-fat milk in a single-serving container, or low-fat yogurt

Something fun, like a granola bar or low-fat pudding

How to build a healthy sandwich

The outside: whole grain bread, bagel or tortilla

The inside: lean meat, tuna, low-fat cheese or peanut butter

For extra flavor: spicy mustard or ketchup

Go light on: mayonnaise

Pile on the extras: lettuce, tomato slices, green pepper and cucumber

Source: Healthy Kids, Healthy Weight, Eastern Michigan University

Reminders for parents

School meals must meet federal guidelines and should be a healthy option for students. If you qualify, take advantage of free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs.

School vending and a la carte programs are usually where students can load up on calories. Visit your child’s school cafeteria and check out the school vending machines to see what’s being served.

Source: Michigan Department of Education

More tips for parents

Let your kids help make lunch. They’re more likely to eat it if they have some say in the menu and preparation.

Keep lunches cold for food safety by using an ice pack.

When it comes to treats, less is better. Keep the portions small and the number of servings few.

For beverages, stick to water, milk or an 8-ounce or less serving of juice. Look for 100-percent fruit juices that have added vitamin C. Chocolate milk is an option for children who don’t like white milk.

Make things easy for young kids. Slice up fruit and vegetables. Open those cans of fruit with the tab and transfer the food to a small plastic container that the child can easily open.

Find out when your child eats lunch. Many schools schedule lunches in shifts and some kids may eat as early as 10:30 while others don’t get lunch until 1 p.m. Pack a small snack, like Cheerios, or a small container of grapes or crackers for a late morning or early afternoon snack, if your child’s school allows.

When choosing lunch meat, opt for those lower in fat, preferably containing less than 30 percent fat.

Let your kids see how important healthy eating is by eating healthy yourself. If you don’t want your kids eating junk food, don’t keep it in the house. If it’s there and they’re hungry, the kids will eat it.

Sources: Nutrition experts