HispanicBusiness

Parents and Kids Makeover Their Lunch Box in Fun Food Fashion


FRESNO, Calif., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Just in time for the new school season and the growing interest in providing healthful snacking alternatives for kids, California Raisins has partnered with nutrition experts to help parents think outside of the lunch box when it comes to fueling children through nutritious lunches and after school snacks. According to a recent survey released by the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), Wilmington, DE, fruit is now the number one snack choice for children under the age of six, bumping cookies down to the number two slot. Experts believe getting kids to eat their daily fruit and vegetable requirements doesn't have to be a chore if you follow a few simple guidelines.

"Research shows us that parents are taking a renewed interest in providing healthy snacking options for their children and the back-to-school season is the perfect time to introduce healthy foods in fun, new ways," says Julie Miller Jones, Ph.D., L.N., CNS, national nutrition advisor to the California Raisin Marketing Board. "Whether it be a challenge to eat as many colors of the rainbow in fruits and veggies or preparing old favorites with a new twist, like California raisin peanut butter spread with apple slices or mini-bagels, eating healthy can be fun and delicious."

To avoid the lunch box blahs, California Raisins -- with the help of Jones and registered dietitian Mary Lee Chin -- have compiled a list of tips for ensuring kids' stomachs stay full and lunch boxes come home empty.

-- Eat with your eyes. The soggy peanut butter sandwich with grape jelly soaking through is not very appealing. Instead, take a look at pre-packaged items that travel well and maintain their good looks, like single-serve applesauce and other canned fruits; string cheese; snack-sized California raisins; a carton of yogurt or collect the small individualized packets of mustard, ketchup and salad dressing to send with lunch to add, avoiding soggy sandwiches.

-- Avoid bread boredom. Think variety when "sandwiching" your school lunches. Try whole grain raisin bread, pita bread, whole wheat tortillas to make wraps, whole grain rolls, mini-bagels or flavored bagels.

-- Introduce foods in fun ways. Before surprising your kids with unidentified foods, have a frank talk with them about the variety of healthful foods they have to choose from and on the first try, serve in smaller portions, then keep it fun. Try hummus, with pretzels or celery sticks to dip. Think beyond peanut butter. New butters on the shelves include sunflower seed, cashew and almond. Sprinkle on raisins, and/or send with a whole banana to slice on top.

-- Make it fun! Encourage kids to be involved in preparation and selection of new, healthful foods. For younger kids, it is fun to create a fruit and vegetable bingo board. If your child packs and eats a particular fruit and vegetable, he or she can put a sticker on the bingo board. Once "bingo" is achieved, the child receives an agreed-upon prize -- such as a walk to the park, a favorite game, or a special activity with a parent.

-- It's all in the presentation. Creativity can go a long way when getting kids to eat healthy, like fruit and cheese kabobs. Alternate chunks of fruit with small cheese cubes on a thin straw. Or create roll-ups of tortillas filled with cheese and lunch meat around a pickle.

-- Just add color. Provide fun, colorful ingredients in the lunch with nutritious sprinkles for their foods, such as cherry tomatoes, golden California raisins, or diced red or green peppers or try colorful sandwich wraps that come in red, green or yellow.

-- Keep up to date. Plan periodic assessments because tastes and interest change. If you have served a "like" for three weeks in a row, and it starts coming back home, it's time to have another planning session.


"It is our hope that with a little expert advice, parents will be motivated to give their kids' lunch boxes a nutritional makeover and take advantage of the health benefits of California Raisins this back-to-school season and all year long," says Larry Blagg, senior vice president of marketing, California Raisins.

For more nutritious, kid-friendly recipes, visit http://www.loveyourraisins.com.

About the California Raisin Marketing Board
The California Raisin Marketing Board was created by a State Marketing Order in 1998 and is 100 percent grower funded. Its mission is to support and promote the increased use of California-grown raisins and sponsor crop production, nutrition and market research. To learn more about the California Raisin Marketing Board, visit its Web site at http://www.LoveYourRaisins.com .