Stumped by lunch?

It’s easy to make an adorable, nutritious lunch to send to school with your child. But getting your child to actually eat that adorable, nutritious lunch, well that’s a different story.

There haven’t been a lot of scientific studies on this topic, but one did get done in 2007 by a university in New Zealand. It came up with just the results that any experienced parent would expect: When the trash was searched after lunch at six primary schools, 80 percent of the unconsumed food they found was the healthy stuff (sandwiches, fruit and dairy products).

The study also found that most lunch containers were laden with high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar items. Some boxes had no nutritious foods at all, they contained just snacks.

Anyone who’s waged the lunchbox wars for long enough probably feels a guilty sense of recognition while reading that last bit. Too often the daily battle ends with a sigh of defeat and the thought, “Well, at least he or she will eat something, even if it’s not the ideal meal.�

                                                                          Food and social pressure

There are dozens of Web sites online with tips for enticing youngsters to eat the foods they bring, but most seem to ignore the reality that many of those lunches will be thrown out and replaced with ice cream or potato chips.

What is it that makes children disdain even lunchbags prepared with their favorite foods? I found some “foods for thought� on the Web site of a parents’ network in Berkeley, Calif. A mother wrote in to say that her kindergarten-aged daughter won’t eat her packed lunch and comes home ravenous every afternoon. When asked what’s wrong with the lunches, the child simply shrugs. Other parents responded with suggestions that included being sure the child can open his or her lunchbox, and asking if the food from home is an embarassment, if it doesn’t smell right, or it leaves hands sticky.

One parent noted that lunch and snack times at school are among the most social periods of the school day, and that children become especially aware at those times of being “different� from other kids; “snack/lunch times are the times when your children’s separateness from each other is most emphasized — unlike with toys, each child brings his/her own food from home, and sharing is not encouraged — so each child’s sense of identity as it is seen by the group is most vulnerable at those times.�

Another parent pointed out a problem that impacts children at many schools across the country: The cafeteria can only hold a limited number of children at one time; often youngsters are eating lunch as early as 10:30 or 11 a.m.

                                                                                Choosing battles

As is so often the case with parenting (especially as children get older), the best solution might be to relax a bit. Salisbury’s Susan Spring is  a registered dietitian, the mother of five and the grandmother of nine. She is a seasoned campaigner in the lunchbox wars.

To some degree, she said, school lunch is one of those places “where you loosen up and be a little more free flowing.â€� Certainly do your best to prepare a nutritious meal, if you make lunch at home, but don’t worry unduly if it comes back unopened, or if you discover it isn’t always being eaten; concentrate more on “trying to cover all the nutritional bases  at breakfast, after-school snack and dinner, when you have your children under your eye.â€�

                                                                          Peanut butter and more

That doesn’t mean you should completely give up the battle, of course. Your child might not eat the lunch you pack every day, but you can increase your odds of it not ending up in the bin with some simple strategies.

Peanut butter was recommended by both Spring and by Nancy Gandolfo, clinical nutrition manager for Sharon Hospital. Peanut butter (or almond or cashew butter for children with allergies to peanuts) is a favorite childhood food on its own, and it also makes an excellent partner with other nutritious foods: apple slices, raisins, bananas, wheat bread and other whole-grain products, including Cheerios.

Another spread that is surprisingly popular with children is hummus, made from ground chickpeas and available at all area supermarkets. It is a tasty sandwich spread, it doesn’t have a strong odor, and it makes a wonderful dip for cut-up vegetables and whole-grain chips (kids never seem to outgrow their love of eating dipped foods, perhaps because it allows them to eat with their fingers).

Hummus should be kept cold until lunch. All our nutritionists noted the importance of using insulated lunchboxes or bags, to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Adding a frozen juice box or other beverage is a good idea; the liquid has usually melted by lunchtime but it acts as an ice pack all morning (and doesn’t have to be brought home at the end of the day).

Anita Grinevics, chief clinical dietitian at the University of Connecticut health center, reminds parents to keep mayonnaise cold, whether it’s on a sandwich or in a salad — but she points out that commercially prepared mayo is made with pasteurized eggs and is not as perishable as homemade mayo, made with raw unpasteurized eggs.

When making sandwiches, do use whole grain breads, and remember that children develop their food tastes at a young age. There are many wonderful whole-grain breads available today; find one that your child likes, and that isn’t too hard for him or her to chew, swallow and digest.

Cold pasta (whole grain or regular) is another canvas that can be dressed up with vegetables, cheese and other healthy toppings. Keep in mind that butter doesn’t work well as a cold pasta topper because it hardens; but olive oil is ideal. Many young children (inexplicably) love pesto sauce, especially when it’s added to curly pasta. Cold noodles with baby tomatoes and baby mozzarella balls can also be a fun, novelty lunch that’s actually healthy as well. And of course cold sesame noodles are always popular (perhaps because they are made with peanut butter).

Next week, finding some lunchbox solutions with your child.