School Smarts: Healthy Lunches

It can be tough getting kids to eat a healthy lunch.

“I try to remind them that it's very important the food that they eat because we always say what you put in, is what you get out,” said one mother.

But getting your kids to enjoy eating healthy takes some work!

Registered dietitian and mom Joan Salge Blake says the best place to start is at the supermarket.

“If they go food shopping with you, they will help in the selection and maybe in the preparation they will be more likely to eat it,” said Blake.

And she says be sure to follow the A-B-Cs when it comes to packing a lunch:

• Ask your child what he or she wants.

• Be firm and make sure that the majority of their lunch is healthy.

• And always be ready to Compromise a little.

Chat live with registered dietician Joan Salge Blake Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at WHDH.com

Coming up with catchy names for lunches is another great way to get your kids to eat what you pack.

“This is Mexican Monday and in this lunch what we have here is a whole grain tortilla, we have reduced fat cheddar cheese, fresh salsa which gives a kick to it and a clementine which is a great source of nutrients,” Blake said.

For Thanksgiving Tuesday, try whole grains, lean turkey, and veggies.

“We have carrots-again Americans are falling short on their vegetables so it's a way to get a vegetable serving in and for a sweet dessert, cran-raisins,” Blake said.

Parents don’t need to shy away from red meat.

“So on roll-up Wednesday, what we have here is lean roast beef so it's a great lean, protein source great source of iron, we have some enriched bread here to get some great nutrients and to top it all off we have blueberries or any kind of fruit,” Blake said.

How about big on bagels Thursday?

“You take a whole grain bagel and spread it with light cream cheese, red peppers which are great for dipping and put a little bit of ranch dressing in there,” said Blake.

Then top it with an apple!

Healthy and easy and kid-approved!

If the majority of your diet is healthy, there is always room for sweets and treats and on Friday Joan says it's OK for kids to buy a school lunch.

For a complete list of all the recipes click here!

(Copyright (c) 2010 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)