Moms Discuss the Challenges of Packing Healthy Lunches for Kids

ZESPRI® Kiwifruit Gets the Scoop on Moms’ Challenges for Kids’ Lunches Moms’ Tips for Back to School Packed Lunches

With school starting, blogging moms share the challenges they face when it comes to creating a nutritious lunch that is healthy and easy-to-prepare for their kids. The moms’ issues ran the gamut from appeasing picky eaters to accommodating school dietary restrictions, as well as the demands on their own time to go the extra mile and not resort to a sandwich every day. But the moms are not without their resources. They provided their best tips on how to overcome the challenges. Here are their most valuable nuggets:

Speed Techniques

* When spending time in the kitchen, cook multiple types of food
* Plan for leftovers – cook extra food and set it aside to pack the next day
* Pack food and sauces in individual-sized containers or plastic baggies for easy grab-and-go lunches
* Freeze food in individual-sized containers Presentation Techniques
* Make food as visually interesting as possible to make it appealing. Try cutting a sandwich to look like a butterfly with carrot sticks for antennae.
* Provide sauces that kids love for dipping
* Pack food in attractive containers to make them fun
* Let kids decorate their own lunch containers
* Provide variety in the same meal – include a variety of natural colors for visual contrast (kiwifruit for green, strawberries for red, oranges, etc.)
* Remake leftovers – for example, turn pasta into a frittata

Involve Your Child

* Have children participate in planning and shopping for food
* Have them help prepare their own lunch, even if it’s as simple as packing carrots into a container
* Grow and let them pick herbs and vegetables from a window box or garden

As for appeasing picky eaters, moms believe that “persistence pays off.” Continually exposing your child to food that they see the rest of the family enjoying will eventually result in them giving the food a try and, as their taste buds change, might enjoy.

ZESPRI® Kiwifruit, which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first New Zealand kiwifruit harvest, is a nutritious fruit to pack for school lunches. Throw it in your kid’s lunch bag, and you’ll be adding a nutritional boost to their day. Bite for bite, kiwifruit is the most nutritionally dense among the 27 most common fruits, according to a study by Rutgers University.

Despite its A-list health benefits, kiwifruit is not the first fruit to be pulled from the fruit basket. In fact, according to AllRecipes’ 2009 back-to-school survey, people pack fruit in the following order of popularity: Apples, Grapes, Bananas, Oranges, Strawberries, Peaches, Pears, Nectarines, Kiwifruit, and lastly, Mangoes. Given that the majority of people said they pack a lunch for health’s sake, and not their pocketbook, maybe it’s time to reconsider the little green nutritional giant.

Kiwifruit Nutrition Facts

Vitamin C- One serving of kiwifruit (2 kiwifruit) has 240% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C! This flu fighter also wards off the effects of aging and stress, and powers up the immune system.

Fiber – Rough makes you smooth – two kiwifruit (without the skin) contain more fiber than a bowl of bran cereal. Fiber promotes a healthy heart, regular digestion, and helps lower cholesterol levels.

Potassium – A serving of kiwifruit has more potassium than a banana. A great fit for active lifestyles, potassium maintains fluid and electrolyte balance and releases energy during exercise.

Low Glycemic Index – Kiwifruit is an excellent addition to any weight-conscious diet, as well as being diabetes-friendly. With a low glycemic index (52), this low-fat, low-carb fruit makes a satisfying snack.

Antioxidant- Kiwifruit is an antioxidant all-star! Antioxidants attack free radicals and harmful by-products in your body, reducing your risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Folate – Kiwifruit contains close to 10% of the recommended daily value of folate, vital for the health of mother and child during pregnancy, and for the prevention of birth defects.

Magnesium – Two kiwifruit have a healthy 30 mg of magnesium (approximately 10% of one’s DVA), which powers up energy levels and improves nerve and muscle function.

Lutein – This phytochemical found in kiwifruit helps to prevent age-related blindness and protect eyes against environmental stress and high-energy light.

Zinc- Important for boys and men because it helps produce testosterone. Everyone else needs the zinc in kiwifruit for healthy hair, skin, teeth and nails.

Vitamin E – Kiwifruit is one of the few low-fat sources of this potent cleanser and antioxidant. It also helps to lower cholesterol and boost the immune system.

Kiwifruit also serves as a natural blood thinner. A recent study performed at the University of Oslo in Norway reveals that – similar to popular mainstream aspirin therapy – consuming two to three kiwifruit daily for 28 days significantly thins the blood, reducing the risk of clots, and lowers fat in the blood that can cause blockages.

Kiwifruit is on the Clean 15 list. Produced by the Environmental Working Group, the Clean 15 is a list of fruits and vegetables that have a minimal exposure to pesticides, and do not have to be purchased in their organic versions.

Listen to a Podcast: http://www.kiwiforlunch.com/audio/MomsOnKidsLunches.mp3