Bagging the Brown Bag Lunch in 2008: Revamp your child's lunch with fun, healthy alternatives

Globally, there are more than 300 million obese adults. Obesity most commonly begins in childhood between the ages of 5 and 6, and during adolescence; studies have shown that a child who is obese between the ages of 10 and 13 has an 80 percent chance of becoming an obese adult.

The New Year is a great time to introduce some healthy new recipes and ingredients into your child’s lunch box!

Below are five great tips and recipes (for each day of the week) from Ellie Krieger and the Just One More for Healthy Living Campaign to add just one more veggie and fruit daily, and lean protein – like tuna – weekly, to set your child up for a healthy future.

Aim to “Eat the Rainbow” at every meal – this is a fun way for kids to get the nutrition they need. Add fresh, green and red bell peppers to a StarKist tuna wrap or sandwich for added crunch and color.
Prepare Vegetable Pasta Salad (recipe below) in the evening and pack it in a single-serve container for an easy and delicious lunch kids will love.
Instead of using jelly, add sliced, fresh fruit, like banana, apple or mango, to a peanut butter sandwich.
Toss in a Del Monte Fruit Naturals, a convenient, individual serving of fresh-tasting fruit – peeled, sliced and ready-to-eat, and skip the slicing, peeling and mess of cutting up fruit. Fruit Naturals are available in seven varieties.
Pack a couple mini kebabs of low-fat cheese cubes, apples and grapes.

Vegetable Pasta Salad
Serves 6-8

6 oz. uncooked corkscrew pasta
1 can (14-½ oz.) Del Monte® Cut Green Beans, drained
1 can (11 oz.) Del Monte® Summer Crisp Vacuum Packed Whole Kernel Sweet Corn, drained
1 can (8-¼ ) Del Monte® Sliced Carrots, drained
1 can (2-½ oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup bottled low-calorie Italian dressing
1/3 cup green onions, sliced
1/3 cup red or green pepper, diced

Cook pasta as package directs; rinse with cold water and drain well.
Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl; toss to coat. Chill if desired.

Just One More for Healthy Living Campaign
The Just One More for Healthy Living program, which was created in 2006, encourages families to take simple steps each day that will result in a lifetime of good health by adding just one more daily serving of fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, just one more weekly serving of lean protein such as tuna, and just one more physical activity each day. Del Monte and StarKist brands, the YMCA of the USA, and the Food Network’s Ellie Krieger empower American families to start living healthier, more energized lives with the Just One More for Healthy Living campaign and pledge. Over 60,000 families have already taken the pledge!