Brown bag from home

By By Penny Randall / staff writer
Aug. 7, 2002
Not every student will buy their breakfast or lunch at school.
Amy Price of Meridian lets her children, Amanda, 6, and Christopher, 8, decide whether to eat at the cafeteria or take their own lunch from home.
Price will post the school menu on the refrigerator door. On Sunday nights, she and the children mark which days they will eat at school.
Price said she looks at the menus and sees the healthy items. But she also wonders if her kids eat them.
If parents have questions about what to pack, dietitians offer these suggestions:
Pack foods that attract children.
Ensure that children play a role in deciding what will be included in their brown bag.
Practice food safety. Some items, such as cold cuts, require certain temperatures to remain safe for children to eat.
Save sweets for special occasions. Sweets should be a special treat for children. But, if they are in the habit of eating sweets, pack something small and manageable such as granola bars or a cookie.