Alex Corwin is my friend who knows every ingredient in every food in my pantry/fridge. The first time she came to my house and saw certain products, I thought it might be the end of our friendship. All jokes aside – she knows her stuff, and I can say firsthand that she makes amazing meals that are really nutritious and delicious. With two kids, ages 6 and 3.5, no one knows better than Alex what ingredients should go into a lunchbox that will expose kids to new foods and keep them full and satisfied all day. Alex is willing to offer a handful of complementary 15-minute consultation sessions to the first few moms in the Scarsdale Moms Circle who reach out. To contact Alex, check out her website or follow her on Instagram.
Article by Alexandra Corwin, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, CSP
When packing lunch boxes for your kids, aim to these include 3 important nutrients:
1. Protein: keeps you full for a long time.
2. Fat: keeps you satiated.
3. High Fiber Carbs: gives you long lasting energy.
Tips to make sure you get in these nutrients:
- Include 2 veggies – this allows your kid to have the choice between two different types. Even if your kid eats one piece of one of them, consider it a win! The key is repeated exposure. I personally love packing raw veggies because they stay cool in the lunch box with an ice pack, but you can do cooked ones as well.
- Include 1 fruit – lunch can be a nice time to get fruit into the mix. So often our kids eat packaged foods for snacks, so it is important to get fruit in at mealtime. Also, if your kid skips the veggies, at least they are getting fiber, vitamins and minerals from the fruit!
- Include protein – this can be in the form of eggs, turkey, chicken, beans, tofu, Greek yogurt, cheese etc. Protein gives you staying power and prevents you from getting too hungry at snack time.
- Include a source of fat – cheese, hummus, sunflower seeds (or sun butter), avocado, etc. Fats are last to leave the digestive tract so they keep you satiated.
- Include a high fiber starch – whole grain crackers, whole grain bread or English muffin or tortilla, brown rice, etc. These high fiber carbs give you an extra energy boost, which our kids need for their long days at school.
Some sample lunches Alex has made:
French toast (made with 1 whole egg), dry roasted fava beans, hummus, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, and a small piece of dark chocolate.
Whole grain English muffin with organic house roasted turkey and cheese, red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, peaches, blueberries and a thin oreo for dessert.