Raising a child who loves healthy foods
"I think a child's palate has been trained at a young age to crave the foods they crave," says Debra Rouse, ND, who is also a recipe developer and mother of two school-age children. "If they are given easy, sugary, simple carbohydrates that are colored, then they've been trained to look for that kind of food. If they are eating green yogurt when they are two or three, they don't know that green yogurt isn't natural."

When a child sees sugary chocolate milk served at lunchtime, it's reasonable for the child to assume that chocolate milk is healthy, since it's served at school. One way to help your child understand the difference between healthy and less healthy foods is to educate her. When Rouse's daughter is interested in a food, they take a look at the ingredient list. It also helps to model healthy eating. If you enjoy green, leafy vegetables, beans and lean meats, fresh fruits and whole grains, your child is more likely to do the same. "Don't make it a big deal," says Rouse. "Just show that this is how you eat."

Well-balanced lunch ideas
Take a moment to think through your strategy before packing a lunch. Strive for variety, but don't stray too far from the foods you know your child likes.

Essential ideas for healthy, tasty child lunches include sandwiches made from albacore tuna, chicken or egg salad and nitrate-free deli meats and cheese. Tortilla wraps are a great alternative for kids who prefer something other than a sandwich. Children who graze sometimes prefer string cheese, whole-grain crackers or trail mix without nuts. If you go with crackers, Rouse says to look for those low in fat and high in fiber. Sliced veggies packed with a dip, such as organic ranch dressing, are fun and deliver flavor.

Bean and grain salads are another alternative -- if your child enjoys beans. Rouse suggests a salsa-like mix of black beans with quinoa, rice, corn, a red bell pepper and some lime juice. Some kids like to dip pita triangles into hummus.

Cottage cheese and plain yogurt are both excellent sources of protein that can be mixed into dips for fruits and vegetables, or served on their own. Blend cottage cheese with a soup mix, Mexican seasoning or simply with sea salt and pepper to use in lieu of a mayonnaise dip. "Make sure there are active cultures in the yogurt you buy," says Rouse. Rouse adds fruits, such as berries and mashed banana, and flavors, if necessary, with agave syrup, which is slower to metabolize than refined sugar.

Yummy and nutritious snacks
Parents are usually asked to provide their kids with school-day snacks as well as lunch. "I always think about including a fiber and an antioxidant," says Rouse. Some options are unsweetened tubs of organic applesauce, seedless grapes, kiwi, organic berries, raisins, oranges, pears and apples.

Seeds are an option when you can't bring nuts. Include toasted or raw sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds -- or a mix made up of each. Homemade pumpkin, blueberry -- or other fruit -- muffins, if the recipe includes whole grains, are an easy snack to grab. Rouse suggests adding ground flaxseed to the mix. Popcorn with sea salt and nutritional yeast is inexpensive and easy to make. Pretzels and chips, says Rouse, are variable in nutrition and health, depending on the brand. "Look for whole grain and low salt," she says.

The best litmus test when it comes to selecting lunch and snack food, says Rouse, is first asking yourself the question, "Would you eat it?"