How to pack a healthful lunch for your child

Avoid mistakes in your kid's lunchboxParents don't always have the best habits when it comes to packing healthy school lunches. "There are lots of ways to make things more varied, fun and colorful," says Jennifer Shea, a Boston dietitian who works with several grocery chains. Here are some tips:

Get kids involved. Let them offer input on new fruits and vegetables they would try and help pack their lunchboxes.

Don't toss in chips. As an alternative, have kids create bags of trail mix. Possible ingredients: whole-grain pretzels or cereal (anything with at least 3 grams of fiber and less than 9 grams of sugar per serving), nuts, dried fruits and mini dark-chocolate chips. If a child has a nut allergy, dried edamame is a good substitute.

Jazz up fruits and vegetables. Many kids will be happier with a side of dip. Hummus or a mixture of salsa and low-fat sour cream is popular for veggies and light vanilla yogurt mixed with cinnamon and raisins for fruit.

And cut them up. Most kids prefer produce cut into slices. You also can make kabobs with chunks of fruit, vegetables and low-fat cheese.

Forget white bread. Plain white lacks the fiber that keeps kids full. Go with 100 percent whole-wheat breads or, if your kids won't eat something "brown," whole-grain white.

Go beyond sliced bread. For variety, fill whole-wheat wraps or pita pockets with turkey, lean ham, hummus and vegetables or natural peanut butter with 100 percent fruit jam. Or use cookie cutters to create sandwiches with cool shapes.

Skip high-sugar drinks. Choose water, 100 percent juices or fat-free or 1 percent milk over soda or sports drinks.

Don't automatically include candy. Dessert can be yogurt with a little granola or fruit with a sweet dip.