When It Comes To Lunch, Kids Want Treats and Parents Want Sensible Options!

Insert content As parents begin preparing for back-to-school season, choosing foods to put in the lunchbox is right up there with making sure kids are equipped with pens, pencils and paper! But as most parents will tell you, finding food solutions that everyone can agree on is one of the biggest challenges, especially when it comes to whats cool for school this year. Mother of three and registered dietitian Elizabeth Ward knows firsthand about lunch box battles and how to win them! Liz shares with GOOD NEWS ideas, tips and some of the hottest cool for school foods that make the grade when it comes to fun and enjoyable ways to teach kids about balanced eating, such as: Ģ Have Fun: Get kids excited about lunch by letting them choose a lunchbox or bag that is fun and turn old standbys in to creative, trendy meals. Roll that turkey and cheese into a whole wheat wrap with veggies or cut PB & J sandwiches in to fun characters and shapes. Ģ Make it Together Time: Pack lunches together and give kids a choice of options each day so they get variety and a role in the decision making process. Ģ Keep it Cool: Understand that being cool in school especially in the lunchroom is important to your kids and balance those fruits and veggies with sensible sweet treats like 100 Calorie Packs from Nabisco. Now there are kids versions of theses portion controlled snacks new Alpha-Bits Mini Cookies and Barnums Animals Choco Crackers are delicious, fun to play with and NEW just in time for school! They also can help teach kids about portion control early on. Ģ Remember After-School Time Too: The battles dont always end at lunch think about ways to get creative with after-school snacks, too. Throw 100 Calorie Packs, bagged fruit slices or string cheese and crackers in the car to have them ready while going to after-school sports or at home for a snack. For more information, visit http://100caloriepacks.com http://100caloriepacks.com More about Elizabeth Ward: Elizabeth is co-author of Super Nutrition After 50 (Publications International, 1999) and Live Longer & Better (Publications International, 1994), and was contributing editor for Pillsbury’s Healthy Baking (Viking Press, 1995). She regularly writes for publications such as Men’s Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, WebMD, The Boston Globe, Parents, and Parenting, and is a contributing editor for Environmental Nutrition. As a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association from 1992 to 2002, Ward was featured in nearly 1,000 print and broadcast interviews, including CNN, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, and ABC Radio News. She has also conducted numerous satellite media tours, and recently appeared on ABC World News Tonight to discuss MyPyramid for Kids. Ward has been a speaker at more than 100 professional meetings, including The American Dietetic Association, The Florida Dietetic Association, The Massachusetts Dietetic Association, The Pennsylvania School Food Service Association, The National Association of Catering Executives, and the Tenth International Congress of Dietetics in Paris, France. Ward created and conducted corporate nutrition education programs for five years with Medical Care Affiliates/Health Promotion Affiliates in Boston, where she also counseled patients. She has also worked at the Joslin Diabetes Center and the American Heart Association, and for seven years counseled children and adults at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. Ward completed her undergraduate degree in human nutrition at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; a one-year dietetic internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston; and a masters degree in Mass Communication at Boston University. She is the recipient of the “125 Alumni to Watch” Award from the University of Massachusetts, and was named Recognized Young Dietitian of The Year by the Massachusetts Dietetic Association. https://videos.whiteblox.com/gnb/secure/player.aspx?sid=33977