It can be a struggle just to get the kids up and ready for school, so when you’re trying to pack school lunches amidst the chaos, it can be tempting to resort to prepackaged food.
The problem is – they’re often not the healthiest options. A lot of those quick snacks and packaged foods are high in sodium, saturated fats and sugar.
CBS News spoke with nutrition experts to find the five worst things you can pack in your kid’s lunch and what to use instead.
- Avoid processed meat; they can be high in nitrates and sodium. Use whole grain bread and roast your own turkey or chicken at home.
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are high in sugar, so swap out the sugary jelly for thin slices of fruit.
- Avoid boxed kids’ lunches which are often high in sodium.
- Instead of mayo-rich salads and sandwiches, which have high saturated fat, try Greek yogurt or mashed avocado as a substitute.
- Instead of ‘kid-friendly’ yogurts, which can be high in sugar, opt for plain or lightly sweetened yogurt with fruit.
For more tips when it comes to packing school lunches, click here.
