COLUMBUS, Ohio —  Some parents will spend this weekend getting all the last minute necessities before their child’s first day of school next week, and that includes food and snacks for lunch. 

What You Need To Know

  • When packing lunch and snacks, it's important to have at least three of the five food groups represented

  • Portions are important when giving a child a snack 

  • Creating a designated eating area can help control when and how much a child eats 

People may be familiar with the five food groups: protein, dairy, fruits, vegetables and grains; but for packing lunches, the goal is to have at least three of the five food groups coupled with a sugar free drink. 

  • Protein such as rotisserie chicken, lunch meat, eggs or nuts and seeds is one of the most important components because it can help children stay full for a longer period. 

  • Fruits, including bananas, grapes, applesauce and vegetables such as carrots and celery, help add fiber and nutrients. 

  • Grains, such as whole grain crackers, pasta and starchy vegetables, are energy boosters and can give your student the extra push to finish out the school day strong. 

  • Dairy, including string cheese, yogurt, milk or dairy alternative products, will help add protein and calcium 

These requirements also apply to snacks. One expert from Nationwide Children’s Hospital said that along with food groups, portion sizes are also important. 

“Things like crackers or chips or things like that are offered, or you wanted to offer them occasionally as a snack alternative, you know, then typically what we suggest is trying to portion them out,” said Alexis Tindall who is with Nationwide Children’s Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition. “We want to make sure we’re not eating out of bags or boxes because then we typically over-consume and then it comes to dinner time and our kids are hungry because they just ate dinner when they got home from school.” 

Every family might not have the means to pack their child’s lunch. More school districts have adopted universal free lunch through the years and more and more parents rely on the school to feed their children healthy, well-balanced meals. According to the USDA, schools serve breakfasts and lunches to nearly 30 million children every day.

This year, for the first time, schools are focused on providing food that has less added sugar. Their goal is that less sugar will lower a child’s risk for tooth decay, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and type two diabetes. 

Tindall said that while some families might not be able to pack a full lunch, they can supplement items. For example, a parent might pack a nut butter sandwich or veggies and hummus to substitute other items in a school.