Make Your Child's Lunch Something to Anticipate

According to Natalie Newell, a registered dietician at Rex Healthcare, if you have got a stash of old brown lunch bags for your kids, keep them stashed. Instead, she suggests using the insulated kind and include a frozen water bottle.

By lunchtime, the thawed bottle of water will be a healthier option than juice.

To kick it up a notch, Newell said to cut the sandwich with cookie cutter shapes, like some of the products kids like on store shelves.

"That's why a lot of these products that are geared toward kids sell," she said.

Another example of clever food marketing for kids is with "dipping sauces." Newell said that should be a clue for parents to include low-fat dressing or other mixtures with raw veggies.

"It's also great with fruit. Kids like dipping sauce. They like to dip things. It's fun," said Newell.

You can dip fruit in low-fat yogurt or mix fruit in the yogurt. She said to make sure your child gets some source of calcium in their meals whether in yogurt or a carton of low-fat milk.

Chips are a staple of most kids' lunches, so Newell said choose chips without trans fat. Baked chips or whole wheat crackers are the way to go.

Finally, make packing the lunch a fun time with your child.

"If you get them involved, they're more likely to eat what you pack them," Newell said.