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So how do you pack crave-worthy and nutritious lunches that you and your kids will actually want to eat?  It takes a little planning, but if you manage to pull it off, the right lunch can benefit your body and your wallet.

 

Beyond sliced turkey sandwiches: Add a little variety by mixing and matching choices from each of these 3 groups to ensure a nutritiously balanced lunch that won’t end up in the trash can. 

 

 

Beyond Deli Meat: Protein-Rich Foods

  • Chicken, cut into strips for dipping or rolling into tortilla
  • Meatless meats: “chicken”, sliced meats, veggie patties
  • Tuna, salmon or chicken salad made with Greek yogurt
  • Greek yogurt – Fage 2%, Siggi’s, Walllaby No Sugar Added, Chobani Less Sugar
  • Peanut butter, Almond Butter, SunButter packs
  • Cheese
  • Hard-boiled eggs

 

Fruits + Veggies

  • Apples (+ nut butter, nuts, cheese)
  • Fresh Veggies: Jicama sticks, baby carrots, edamame, snap peas, celery, etc (+ (with Greek yogurt dip)
  • Fresh fruit
  • Freeze-dried fruit packets

 

Nutrient-Rich “Extras”

  • Nuts – individual packs
  • Guacamole – single-serving tubs of guac or avocado
  • Popcorn – Air-popped popcorn pack
  • Whole grain chips (e.g. Beanitos)
  • Whole grain crackers (e.g. Mary’s Gone Crackers or Triscuit Thins)

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Want more from Molly?  Click here to sign up for Nutrition Bites, her weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO, and her weekly column in NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune!   Follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram:  @MollyKimballRD – and check out her weekly podcast; just search ‘Molly Kimball’ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.