By Megan Groh

Hy-Vee Dietitian

We all know after the first school bell rings, the race is on.

Busy schedules get even busier, the days get shorter, and packing healthy lunches can become more challenging. Fortunately, your Hy-Vee registered dietitian, Megan, is ready to help with a few motivating pointers.

Think outside the lunchbox

Take the pressure off building the perfect lunch by thinking in terms of food groups instead of traditional foods. You might picture a whole-wheat sandwich with a side of fruit and milk as the standard, for example, but as long as you’re getting at least three food groups — fruits/veggies, whole grains, protein, dairy — you can get away with catering more to your child’s tastes. This might mean cheese and whole grain crackers instead of a sandwich, for instance.

Include new foods

It’s good to introduce new foods early on to promote healthy eating practices. Eating a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables and different types of grains is the best way to get the nutrients needed for good health and sustained energy. Try fruit skewers with grapes, strawberries, and melon. Or blend greens, such as spinach and kale into a fruit smoothie.

Choose smart snacks

Look for snacks that provide nutrients such as fiber or protein, with little to no added sugar. In addition to fresh produce, some quick lunchbox-friendly snacks include raisins, Hy-Vee Fruit & Nut Granola, popcorn, Pressed by KIND fruit bars (some of which also include vegetables like carrots and beets), whole grain graham crackers with peanut butter, and yogurt pouches.

Sample lunch ideas

Healthy lunches don’t have to be complicated. Check out these simple options.

•Hy-Vee whole grain waffle and peanut butter sandwich, mandarin orange fruit cup, and string cheese

•KIND Healthy Grains Cinnamon Oat Bar, yogurt pouch, and cucumbers with hummus

•One mini turkey slider, bell pepper strips with dip, and KIND Fruit Bites (equivalent to 1 serving of fruit)

Mini Turkey Sliders

Make these easy sliders for dinner and send extras in lunches the next day.

Makes 8 sliders

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

•1 pound lean ground turkey

•½ c. Hy-Vee shredded cheddar cheese

•¼ c. Hy-Vee plain breadcrumbs

•½ small yellow onion, grated

•Hy-Vee salt and Hy-Vee pepper, to taste

•1 tsp Hy-Vee Select olive oil

•8 Hy-Vee bakery wheat cocktail buns

Lettuce, sliced tomato, Hy-Vee ketchup and mustard, optional

Directions

1. Combine turkey, cheese, breadcrumbs and grated onion; mixing until just combined. Season with salt and pepper. Form into eight patties.

2. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add turkey sliders and cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 5 minutes per side. Serve each slider on bun and top with lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mustard, if desired.

Nutrition per 2 sliders

Calories: 370; Protein: 33g; Carbohydrate: 37g; Saturated Fat: 4.5g; Cholesterol: 100mg; Sodium: 470mg; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugars: 7g; Fat: 15g; Trans fats: 0g

Daily Values

4% vitamin A, 15% calcium, 2% vitamin C, 25% iron