WTOL.com - Toledo's News Leader | 5 healthy sack lunches cheaper than buying at school
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By Lauren Lowrey - bio | email | Facebook
Posted by Lisa Strawbridge - email
TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Dietician Tina Miller says it's possible to pack healthy school lunches that are cheaper than buying from the cafeteria.
As a dietician at Meijer, she walked through the store and bought a week's worth of healthy lunches to take home and show parents specific ideas.
Her first idea is rotisserie chicken. "Using the rotisserie chicken is an inexpensive shortcut to making a lot of lunches," she said. "You can use the chicken breast and make a nice, healthy pasta salad or quesadillas. You can send it in your child's lunch, then take the rest of the chicken and make a healthy, yummy pot of soup."
As for produce, Miller recommends choosing easy-to-eat fruits and veggies like apples, celery or orange slices. Broccoli, bell peppers and sugar snap peas are other good choices.
A ho-hum sandwhich can pop if replaced with a whole-wheat English muffin. Tuna fish is great with a little lettuce, and it can also be made into a mini pizza.
Make whole grain choices on snacks. Miller says to choose tortilla chips over pretzels.
To get calcium into the lucnh, freeze yogurts that thaw by lunchtime.
Here are the lunches Miller came up with:
Day 1: Flax-enriched pumpkin bread with peanut butter and honey; sugar snap peas and orange slices. Price: $2.54
Day 2: Whole-wheat English muffin pizza with reduced-fat cheese and ham; grapes, yogurt and granola are on the side. Price: $2.14
Day 3: Low-sodium vegetable soup and added rotisserie chicken; applesauce, goldfish and a cheese stick serve as snacks. Top it off with some milk for $2.26.
Day 4: Pasta salad with frozen veggies, rotisserie chicken and some light ranch. Pear, flax-and-oatmeal cookies, and milk on the side. Price: $2.62
Day 5: Whole wheat chicken quesadillas and salsa; apple, yogurt, and some sweet treats on the side. Price: $1.56
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