You can also have eggs and multigrain toast or a breakfast smoothie with a frozen banana, berries, water or coconut milk, and honey.
Focus on foods that do not need to be kept cool. Sometimes a cold pack can be used, but to eliminate the chance of food-borne illness, choose foods that are shelf-stable and can easily be carried around throughout the day. You can also prepare healthy snacks the night before by cutting up fresh fruit and packing it in tupperware, or putting trail mix in ziploc bags. Stash them by the front door so you can grab them in the morning or pack them in your school bag.
Get a dry erase board or use a word processing program to make a grid for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Then, write the days of the week that you go to school, usually Monday-Friday. Work with a parent to come up with basic meals for a quick breakfast, a healthy and easy to carry lunch, and a filling dinner. You can also use an app on your phone like ZipList, Evernote, and Pepper Plate to create a meal schedule and a shopping list for the grocery store. [2] X Research source
Use leftover food from dinner or from a big batch of prepared food in a different ways, such as leftover BBQ chicken in a wrap or leftover vegetables on whole wheat pasta.
If your friends have a soft spot for fast food, look for the healthier food choices on the menu, like the vegetarian option or a sandwich with a side of salad instead of french fries.
As you help prepare meals, think about healthier ways to make certain dishes. For example, baking or steaming fish instead of frying it, or replacing red meat with other protein options like baked tofu. Helping to cook meals will also allow you to control the portion size on the plates. Limiting your portion sizes to no more than a handful of each dish or type of food will ensure you do not overeat.
If your school offers fruit juices as a beverage, they must be 100% juice, with no added sugar. They may also offer dried fruit options. There should be vegetables available in the form of dark leafy greens like broccoli, or spinach, red or orange veggies like carrots or sweet potatoes, and beans or peas like kidney beans or lentils. If starchy foods like corn or white potatoes are served, there should be no added salt. Beans and peas may also be offered as meat alternatives for vegetarian eaters.
Beef and cheese nachos, which contain 24 grams (0. 85 oz) of fat and almost 1,500 milligrams of sodium Meatloaf and potatoes, which contain 72 calories and 78 milligrams of cholesterol Cheeseburgers, which have more saturated fat than a child should consume in an entire meal Cheese sandwiches such as grilled cheese sandwiches and cheese quesadillas, which contain more than 7 grams (0. 25 oz) of saturated fat and almost 1,000 milligrams of sodium Pepperoni pizza, which contains more than 6 grams (0. 21 oz) of saturated fat; pepperoni is a processed meat that increases the risk of cancer
Schools are also required to offer meat alternative foods, like tofu or soy yogurt, which can be a good way to get protein without loading up on red meat.
Try to avoid sugary drinks like soda or fruit juices with added sugar from the vending machines at school.
You should have about one cup of grains like rice or pasta, and one cup of vegetables and fruits. Clench your fist and place it over your plate. These portions should be no bigger than your clenched fist. The meat or protein portion should be about as big as your palm. Added fats like butter, mayo, or salad dressing should be the size of the top of your thumb. None of your food should overlap or be piled high. There should be a small amount of space between each of the four food groups.
