Surprise Kids With Fun, Healthy Lunches (NAPSA)—With so many reports about unhealthy school lunches, moms and dadsare left holding the (brown) bag whentry- : A Aa" \ a f ing to come up with appropriate lunch ideas. The Solution? Be sneaky. Truly, your children will thank you for it—if you just use some imagination. Follow these simple tips and you can feel good about what your kids are eating all year long: 1. Help lunch take shape. A turkey sandwich on whole wheat doesn’t have to be dull. Transform it into a Turkey T-Rex! Cutting sandwiches using cookie cutters will add some excitement to everyday sandwiches. Or create a “healthy hot dog” by using a rolled up cylinder of turkey or ham in a whole wheat bun. Top with chopped veggies such as lettuce and tomatoes to mimic relish and ketchup. Adding a few fun touches to the lunchbox makes the food moreinteresting to eat and makes yourchild feel special. 2. Fit in fruits and veggies. Add somefruit to their yogurt or put some extra broccoli in the mac and cheese—whatever you have to do to fit those servings in, do it. You can also replace sugar-packed treats with snacks made from real fruit. One great option is Tropicana FruitWise, a tasty new line of fruit strips and bars made from 99 percent real fruit with no added sugar. With this “fast fruit,” your kids will still get a taste of something sweet and you can rest easy knowing they’re getting added fruit servings. 3. Give a little bit. Your child is a chocolate fanatic but you Give kids addedfruit servings on the sly with a new line of deli- cious fruit strips and bars—a guaranteed lunchbox favorite. know a brownie a day isn’t such a smart idea. Tackle this obstacle by satisfying cravings in moderation. Avoid large desserts full of calories and sugar byoffering a bitesized treat such as a miniature candy bar. 4, Maintain the monotony. If your child isn’t complaining about the nutritious lunch you pack every day, then just keep packingit. Kids don’t grow tired of food as quickly as adults do and many find comfort in seeing the same foods in their lunchbox day after day. As they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! 5. Add a splash of color. Fruits and vegetables that are bright colors—yellow, orange, red, green, blue and purple—generally contain the most antioxidants and nutrients, making them great for kids. Also, like adults, kids respond to bright colors. The more colorful it is, the more excited they'll be to eat it.
