Lunch can be more than peanut butter and jelly! A little time and creativity will help lunches be nutritious and taste great. Focus on balance and variety and include each of these for a healthy lunch:
- Fruit – try something new like kiwi, mango, dried apple
- Vegetables – think about mini bell peppers, snap peas, grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and main dish salads
- Protein – include a lean protein such as grilled chicken, lean ham, deli turkey, water-packed tuna, hard boiled eggs, natural peanut butter, nuts and seeds, 1% cottage cheese and non fat Greek yogurt
- Dairy – enjoy fat free or low fat milk, soy milk, light yogurt, mozzarella cheese sticks
- Whole grains – Include whole wheat / whole grains in breads, pita, tortillas, crackers
Wraps/ Pitas / Sandwiches / Pitas / Sandwiches / Pitas / Sandwiches
- Ham, pineapple, lettuce, non-fat cream cheese
- Chicken, salsa, low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- Almond butter, banana
- Turkey, shredded carrots, tomato, lettuce, low fat Ranch dressing
- Hummus, sliced cucumbers, spinach leaves, tomatoes
- Pizza – spaghetti sauce, low-fat mozzarella cheese, olives, green peppers
- Burrito – black beans, salsa, low-fat mozzarella cheese
- Tuna, pickle slices, spinach leaves, grape tomatoes
Salads
- Green salad with leftover chicken, salsa and corn tortilla
- Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and feta cheese topped with shredded chicken or canned tuna
- Green salad with ham, turkey, avocado cubes, shredded cheddar cheese
- Chicken salad with walnuts and grapes; baby carrots and water
- Tuna Salad with whole grain crackers; fruit and milk
- Pasta salad with low-fat Italian salad dressing, diced peppers, cucumbers, turkey cubes
Out of the Ordinary
- Cottage cheese mixed with fruit with a side of nuts and cherry tomatoes
- Greek yogurt Sunday with fruit and whole grain cereal; carrot raisin salad
- Cheese stick, popcorn, apple and celery slices with peanut butter
- Hard boiled egg, mini bagel with non-fat cream cheese, orange slices, cucumber with hummus
- Trail mix, strawberry and pineapple slices, and snap peas with Ranch salad dressing for dip
- Homemade sushi: leftover rice, dried seaweed strips to roll rice and chicken in; cherry tomatoes, mango cubes
- Grilled chicken tenders with honey mustard salad dressing as a dip; pear slices, cheese and cherry tomato kabob, mini homemade pumpkin muffin
- Tacos: 1 serving scoop corn chips, shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese, pinto beans or leftover taco meat, salsa
- Leftover pasta, red pepper slices, frozen grapes
- Greek yogurt smoothie (frozen the night before), peanut butter and crackers
- Lettuce wraps with roaster chicken, peanuts, shredded carrots, green onions, spinach leaves and peanut sauce
- Cheese cube and grape Kabob, deli turkey, whole wheat crackers
Treats
- ½ Larabar
- Air popped popcorn
- Homemade mini pumpkin / banana / zucchini muffin
- Trail mix
- Homemade granola bars
- Baked vegetable chips
- Dried banana chips
- Cheerios / Frosted Mini-Wheats / Oatmeal square