Packing a healthy, balanced, unprocessed lunch for your child takes a bit of planning, but it’s worth the effort. Many prepackaged “lunches” may be convenient, yet their ingredient lists often include items you wouldn’t prepare at home. Below is a clear comparison and simple homemade alternatives that make lunchtime healthier without sacrificing convenience.
Store-Bought Lunchables Contain…
Ingredients you know are unhealthy:
- High fructose corn syrup
- Hydrogenated oils
- Artificial flavors
- Mechanically separated chicken
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Sodium nitrites
Ingredients you don’t normally cook with at home:
- Sodium diacetate
- Potassium chloride
- Potassium sorbate (preservative)
- Monocalcium phosphate
- Thiamine mononitrate
- Calcium propionate
- Whey protein concentrate
- BHA and BHT
Ingredients that are vaguely listed for a reason:
- Flavor
- Natural flavors
One packaged lunch here or there won’t ruin health, but these are not items you want on repeat. Instead, consider homemade versions that offer simple, real-food ingredients and still feel kid-friendly.
Lunchable Makeover: Ham and American Cracker Stacks
For a more balanced meal, include fresh fruit or vegetables. In this example, organic grapes pair nicely with the protein and crackers to round out the lunch.
Typical Lunchable Brand Ingredients:
Chocolate Sandwich Cookies – Sugar, unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), high oleic canola and/or palm and/or canola oil, cocoa (processed with alkali), high fructose corn syrup, cornstarch, leavening (baking soda and/or calcium phosphate), salt, soy lecithin, vanillin (an artificial flavor), chocolate.
Cooked Ham – Water Added – Chopped and Formed – Smoke Flavor Added – Ham, water, contains less than 2% of sodium lactate, potassium chloride, modified cornstarch, sugar, sodium phosphate, salt, sodium diacetate, sodium ascorbate, flavor, sodium nitrite, smoke flavor.
Pasteurized Prepared American Cheese Product – Milk, water, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, whey, whey protein concentrate, contains less than 2% of sodium citrate, salt, lactic acid, sorbic acid (preservative), cheese culture enzymes, oleoresin paprika (color), annatto (color), with starch added for slice separation.
Crackers – Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable shortening (soybean oil, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to help flavor), sugar, leavenings (baking soda and/or monocalcium phosphate), salt, whey (from milk), soy lecithin, natural flavor, enzymes.
Homemade Version Ingredients:
Dark Chocolate – Chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa, raw cane sugar, vanilla extract.
Organic Ham – Pork, water. Contains less than 2% of the following: sea salt, honey, cane sugar, celery powder.
Cheddar Cheese – Pasteurized milk, salt, cheese culture, rennet, annatto color.
Whole-Wheat Wafer Crackers – Whole wheat, high oleic safflower oil and/or high oleic sunflower oil, salt.
Grapes – Grapes
Organic ingredients were chosen when possible. While not every ingredient in the homemade version meets every definition of “perfect” real food, these options are far superior to the processed store-bought alternatives.
More DIY Lunch Ideas
If you’re looking for more ideas, consider exploring additional makeovers, photo galleries of school lunches (including vegetarian options), and nut-free lunch options on food blogs that focus on whole, simple ingredients.
Please share your favorite healthy school lunch ideas in the comments below!