University of Wisconsin - Extension

Older elementary and middle school kids are not too young to use what they know about the nutritional guidelines of the 'food pyramid' to pack their own healthy, well-balanced lunches for school. In fact, the foods and nutrition projects of the 4-H program -- where kids learn about healthy eating as well as food preparation --are very popular with both boys and girls. Students can use what they've learned in 4-H or in school nutrition classes to pack a lunch they and their parents know they'll like - and eat.

"Students who eat the school lunch program meal are assured that their lunch will be nutritionally balanced," said Susan Nitzke, University of Wisconsin-Madison/Extension nutrition specialist.

"Lunches brought from home may be less complete if there's nothing in the bag except a peanut butter sandwich and a bag of chips. And even the most carefully planned lunches won't be well-balanced if part of it ends up in the trash because the student didn't like it."

Nitzke said lunch should include at least three of the food categories - protein, grain, fruit or vegetable and dairy. It's OK to include a sweet or high fat treat in the lunch - just make sure most of the lunch is good-for-you food.

Remember that the foods in a food group are not all equal.

"The more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the more nutrients it contains," Nitzke pointed out. That means that iceberg lettuce hardly counts as a vegetable, but carrots and broccoli score high in nutritional value. Likewise, whole grain bread packs a lot more nutritional punch than white bread.

If your school has an a la carte line - where you can put together your own lunch from the selections offered -- students can use their knowledge about nutrition to build a healthy lunch there as well.

"The a la carte line usually offers good choices from each of the food groups," Nitzke said. Usually you'll find milk and yogurt, bagels or crackers, some low fat sources of protein, and fresh fruits or vegetables with low-fat dips. The problem at the a la carte line, she said, is there are likely to be a lot of high fat, low nutrition temptations as well.

"Pizza, french fries, chips, snack cakes and soft drinks are OK in moderation, but making a meal out of such foods day after day can lead to unhealthy weight gain and a loss of energy," she pointed out.

In 4-H nutrition and foods projects, students also learn the basics of food safety at home, knowledge they can use when they're fixing their own lunches. Nitzke said the most important things to remember are:

• Use clean hands, clean work surfaces and clean utensils
• Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Use an insulated lunch container or thermos.

To learn more about 4-H foods and nutrition projects, contact the 4-H youth development agent at your local UW-Extension Office.