Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools March 2015 | Page 10

How Healthy Is your child’s packed lunch?

Every time you pack your kids' lunches, you have an opportunity
to give them a fun, healthy meal. Are you making the most of it?
Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD and Liz Weiss, MS, RD, authors of
the book "No Whine with Dinner," along with the California Raisin
Marketing Board, offer the following tips for better lunches:
Take a Lunchbox Assessment. Look at your children's lunches.
Healthy lunches should include whole grains, such as whole-wheat
bread, pitas or tortillas; high-quality lean protein, such as roasted
deli turkey, beans or tofu; low-fat dairy, such as low-fat milk, yogurt,
cheese and calcium-fortified soy milk; and fruits and vegetables, such
as sliced apples, strawberries, California raisins, sliced bell pepper
strips, baby carrots or raw green beans.
If your child's lunch doesn't contain something from each food
group, figure out where you can add healthier foods. Improving your
child's lunch could be as simple as using whole-wheat bread instead
of white bread or adding more fruit.
Add "Try-it" Foods. Play the "try-it" game. When you go to the
grocery store, let your kids choose a new fruit or vegetable they
haven't tried before, like yellow bell pepper or papaya. Bring it home,
sample it, and consider adding the new "try-it food" to the lunch box
that week.
Pack Satisfying Snacks. A hearty and healthy mid-morning snack
can hold your child over until lunch. Make snacks count toward good
nutrition by packing fruit or homemade baked goodies like muffins,
quick breads or "granola" bars. Enhance your recipes by adding
whole-wheat flour or wheat germ for added fiber and nutrients, dried
fruits such as California raisins for added antioxidants, and finely
chopped nuts for extra protein.
--NewsUSA

PLAYGROUP GRANOLA BARS
Original recipe makes 24 granola bars
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
PREP - 15 mins

COOK- 35 mins

READY IN - 50 mins

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously
grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together the oats,
brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well
in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using
your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to
35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the
edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow
the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.
8 • Mar/Apr 2015 • Parent Teacher Magazine