It seems there are a hundred philosophies on how to eat the right way. Some cling to a low-fat, low-calorie diet; some to low-carbohydrate; some to Paleo, neolithic, sugar-free, gluten-free, soy-free … the list goes on and on. And when we talk about feeding children, it’s a whole other dimension. For their growing bones and bodies, what is best?

Packing lunches for your school children can be a guessing game at best. Will they eat this? Is it healthy enough? Should I just give up and let them buy lunch or have chips and candy? School districts monitoring lunchboxes adds another dimension of confusion, giving us headlines like “Feds Order School to Ban Packed Lunches Without Doctor’s Note” and “Parents Fined for Not Sending Ritz Crackers in Kids’ Lunches.”

Take a breath. Discerning what kids should eat may be difficult. But by teaching them healthy habits now, they will have a better chance of being great eaters in the long run.

In their book The Daniel Plan: 40 Days for a Healthier Life, Pastor Rick Warren and Drs. Daniel Amen and Mark Hyman suggest the following motto: “If it was grown on a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, leave it on the shelf” (p.38). As a culture we’ve been convinced cooking from scratch is too difficult for the normal person - a marketing trend that began in the 1950s, after “factories that used to make ammunition had to make something else … advertisers had to convince American women that cooking is too hard and troublesome for our modern world” (Shauna Niequist, Bread & Wine, p. 41).

Many nutritionists now agree that the “real food” approach - with packaged foods being the exception rather than the rule - is the way to go. As you pack your child’s lunch, consider alternatives to packaged foods. Roasted turkey, cheese cut into squares, and whole wheat pita bread can be a substitute for prepackaged lunchmeat-and-crackers meals. Frozen homemade smoothies made with plain yogurt and frozen fruit will defrost but be cold by lunchtime.

Preparing ahead can also be pertinent for packing healthier lunches. Stock your freezer with items that are easy to defrost: whole-wheat pasta with sauce, homemade macaroni and cheese frozen in muffin tins for individual portions, homemade breads and muffins, and smoothies. Wash and cut vegetables and fruit and store a week’s worth in your refrigerator. Aim to pack a whole grain, a protein, a dairy item or something rich in calcium, a vegetable, and a fruit in your child’s lunch every day.