HERSHEY, Pa. — With the school year officially underway, it’s time to focus on one of the most perplexing dilemmas that challenge parents daily: what to pack for your kid’s lunch.
Eventually, the peanut butter sandwich train stops, at least for a day or two. The “Can I buy?” momentum begins to roll, but who has the money ― and perhaps enough faith in the school cafeteria ― to make that an everyday practice?
A few more weeks of uncertainty and consternation could lead to surrender, and possibly a steady diet of prepackaged meat, cheese and cracker lunches.
Kate Sanchez sympathizes and empathizes. Sanchez is the assistant director of pediatrics for Penn State Health Pediatrics. She’s also a mother of three, including two elementary-school-age children.
So, what does a pediatrician pack for her own kids?
“I have to say I’m not one of those Instagram moms packing the perfect Bento box, the perfectly well-rounded meal,” Sanchez said, laughing.
Breakfast is key
First, Sanchez believes good nutrition starts with a quality breakfast. She subscribes to the age-old theory that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and, ultimately, prefers that her patients sit down for a solid meal before heading to school.
She also knows busy lives can prohibit that. So, Sanchez suggests students eat at least some type of reasonable snack in the early morning if they are on the go, whether that’s a drinkable yogurt, a protein shake or a granola bar.
Skipping breakfast makes a quality, balanced lunch even more essential for students, Sanchez said. That’s why she packs her kids a protein, a complex carbohydrate, a fruit and a vegetable each day for lunch.
Banana Man saves the day
Her 6-year-old never tires of peanut butter sandwiches on whole grain bread. But understanding that’s not the norm, she believes lunch packers should be willing to mix it up for variety and taste.
“If they’d prefer an almond butter and jelly sandwich, that’s a good choice. Certainly, a turkey sandwich would be great,” she said. “If they don’t like meat or don’t like peanut butter, I try to do things like something with cheese or a bean-based protein.”
Sanchez said she’s fortunate both her school children enjoy raw carrots and broccoli, which are now standards in their lunch bags. She gets a little creative, however, in sending fruit to school. She often uses a ballpoint pen to draw pictures or write words on bananas, whether it’s a simple, “Have a great day,” or a sketch of Mike from “Monsters, Inc.” or a “Banana Man” illustration, complete with hair, face and a necktie.