Pack it or sack it? Ideas for a healthy weekday lunch

Abigail Lindsay, Editor in ChiefFebruary 2, 2018Leave a Comment

Abigail Lindsay

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Becca Winton

Fresh fruit and protein bars are quick and easy lunch options to go with sandwiches. Packed lunches are often a healthier option than buying a lunch.

 

Lunch, the 27 minutes a day students get to take a break from their crazy school day and enjoy eating.  Many students will choose to buy lunch from the school cafeteria, but those meals often aren’t quite what students want at lunch.

Sophomore Annelise DeYoung said,“There is not a lot of fresh fruit. Most of the fruit is canned and or packaged.” 

Fresh fruits do not last as long as canned fruits do which is why there is such a limited amount of fresh fruit. The limited amount of fresh fruit makes it harder for many kids to have a healthy and balanced lunch. Fresh fruit isn’t the only food group that is lacking. 

 

Here are some quick tips, adapted from various online sources, to help plan and pack a healthy lunch that you can do with the simple foods you have in your house:

  • Pack fresh fruit instead of fruit cups.  Fruit cups can be filled with extra sugar, so pack fresh fruit to avoid those unnecessary sugars.
  • Substitute any sugary drinks with water.  If you do not enjoy just drinking plain water, put some fresh fruits into it such as strawberries and blueberries into it.
  • Pack your lunch the night before.  This will allow you to put more thought into what you are packing.  Instead of packing your lunch in the morning when you may be rushing to get to school.
  • If packing your lunch the night before isn’t plausible for you, make a game plan the night before of what to pack in the morning.  Make a list of what you want to pack in the morning, so in the morning you know what to pack

DeYoung added, “It would be good if we added more dairy such as cheese and yogurt.” 

Limited options can make it difficult to buy a good lunch. This means sometimes getting creative with coming up with new ideas of what to pack in your lunch.  Bringing a packed lunch is a great way to ensure a fresh, healthy, and new lunch every day, but it can be hard to come up with new ideas to keep your lunch being from the same thing every day.

“I try to pick something from each the different food groups on the food pyramid,” said junior Matt Edlin.

Students are taught the food pyramid at a  young age. By picking a food from each of the six different food groups, students are able to have the balanced meal they want to have. This can sometimes be difficult depending on what foods you may have around your house.      

“I just see what we have in the pantry,” said sophomore Chole Kot.

For many students, it’s difficult to pack a good lunch in the morning, and they don’t have time to think about what they are putting in their lunch. Whether you chose to pack or buy your lunch, getting a balanced meal is important.  Packing your lunch is the best choice to ensure you are getting the lunch you want.