Quiz 1. A sandwich of (a) smoked turkey or (b)
Brownbagging
low-sodium ham?
2. A snack of (a) white corn tortilla chips or
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Choosing healthy food isn’t enough— you also have to keep lunches safe. According to The Nemours Foundation, fewer than one-third of parents include a cold pack with foods that need refrigeration. Follow these
(b) unsalted pretzels?
guidelines to protect kids’ lunches:
3. (a) Light mayonnaise or (b) mustard?
• Store hot foods in a thermos.
4. (a) Whipped cream cheese or (b) light cream
• Use cold packs or freeze some foods and drinks overnight and let them thaw in the lunch box.
cheese?
5. (a) An apple or (b) an orange? 6. (a) Skim milk or (b) 100 percent fruit juice? 7. (a) Processed American cheese food or (b) deli-sliced provolone?
8. (a) A tuna salad sandwich or (b) peanut-butterand-jelly?
9. (a) White bread or (b) whole-wheat bread? 10. (a) a 1.5-ounce box of raisins or (b) a banana?
• Wash lunch boxes daily or use brown paper bags. • Add moist towelettes to remind kids to wash their hands before and after eating. Source: The Nemours Foundation
Your lunch-box literacy • 9 to 10 correct: Gold star! You’re a meal-packin’ whiz. Keep up the good work. • 7 to 8 correct: Check plus. You have good hunches on lunches, but a solid cram session would make you a more prudent packer. • 6 or fewer correct: See me after class. When it comes to lunch literacy, you need to do your homework. Check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture “food pyramid” website, www.mypyramid.gov, for healthy-meal tips.
ANSWERS: 1. (a) Pick the turkey. The poultry beats the pig in terms of protein (29.3 grams versus 22.3), fat (5 grams versus 8.3) and calories (162 versus 172). In terms of salt, low-sodium ham has only a bit less sodium than turkey (969 milligrams versus 996 in a 100-gram portion). 2. (b) Pretzels are the big winner here. Though tortilla chips are better than many potato chips, an ounce checks in at 137 calories and 6 grams of fat. The same amount of pretzels has 108 calories and less than 1 gram of fat. These pretzels win on sodium too—82 milligrams versus 118. (If regular pretzels are your choice instead, the call is less clear, as their other advantages must be balanced against a whopping 385 milligrams of sodium.) 3. (b) Choose the mustard. Even low-fat mayo (1 tablespoon) has 49 calories, 5 grams of fat, 101 milligrams of sodium and 5 milligrams of cholesterol. The same amount of plain yellow mustard, on the other hand, has just 9 calories, 0.2 grams fat, 57 milligrams sodium and no cholesterol.
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4. (b) If your kids like a smear, make it light, though neither of these is particularly healthy. A tablespoon of whipped cream cheese: 35 calories, 3.5 grams fat. Light: 30 calories, 2.3 grams fat. 5. (b) The orange wins this battle of the titans. Either fruit is a fine addition to your child’s lunch, as both boast a variety of nutrients and lots of beneficial antioxidants. But while a medium-sized apple (3-inch diameter) has 4.4 grams of dietary fiber, beating the 3.1 grams of a medium orange (2 3/8-inch), the orange is preferable for calories (62 versus the apple’s 95), and contains a whopping 69.7 milligrams of vitamin C, compared with the apple’s 8.4. 6. (a) Pack milk, which has 10 times as much calcium as your typical apple/ grape-blend fruit juice. And then add an apple and some grapes, as the
American Academy of Pediatrics advises that fruit be eaten, not consumed in juice form. 7. (b) Keep it real. True, those slices in their separate plastic wrappers have slightly fewer calories than the Provolone (94, compared to 100 per ounce) and less fat (7.14 grams versus 7.55). But they also have less protein (5.22 grams versus 7.25) and calcium (162 milligrams versus 214)—and most U.S. kids are deficient in this bone-building mineral. Thus, a judicious use of real cheese can be an important part of your child’s diet. Plus, it tastes a whole lot better! 8. (a) It’s the tuna, though each has its pros and cons. Three ounces of tuna salad has more calories (342 versus 244) and sodium (342 milligrams versus 147) than 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of jelly. But PB&J has twice the fat (16 grams versus 8) and three times the sugar (10 grams versus 3). Why is tuna the champ? It wins on protein, 14 grams versus 8, and has heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids too. 9. (b) Use the wheat. The two are nearly identical in terms of calories, fat, sodium and cholesterol. However, each whole-grain slice has twice the protein and three times the fiber of its paler cousin. Those nutrients are contained in the grain kernel, which is stripped away to make white bread. 10. (b) Choose the banana. Raisins are a healthy, energy-boosting snack, but they’re definitely “second banana” here. A medium-sized banana delivers 422 milligrams of potassium with 14.43 grams of sugars—as opposed to the 322 grams of potassium your child gets with the raisins along with 25.45 grams of sugars. And it’s a wipeout when it comes to brain-boosting niacin: The banana has 0.785 milligrams, while the raisins come in at just under 0.329 milligrams. Source: Nutritional data from the United States Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
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