Make sack lunches pack some power

ST. LOUIS — Sherry Lassa-Claxton is a registered dietitian whose twin 7-year-olds are the yin and yang of kids' eating. Nick likes healthy food like fruits and vegetables. And Jack?

"He'd eat chips all day long if I let him," says Lassa-Claxton, who struggles like any parent to pack good lunches for her school-age children.

She and three other dietitian-moms were asked to share their own experiences packing lunch. As professionals attuned to the dangers of childhood obesity and unhealthy eating, all insisted on healthy choices: cut fruits and vegetables, lean meat or peanut-butter sandwiches on whole-grain bread, low- or nonfat dairy products. All three said that once a child turns 5, skim or 1 percent milk is the rule.

But unless you want that healthy lunch to end up in the trash, it's important to offer children variety, they agreed. And to remember that every child's tastes are different.

Each mom had her own strategy:

Althea Zanecosky, 54, of suburban Philadelphia, has an 80-20 rule — 80 percent healthy, 20 percent fun — and tries not to be too strict.

"I always say when my kids are older, they'll join a support group for children of dietitians," said Zanecosky, who grew up on bologna sandwiches packed in a smelly metal lunch box.

Her 18-year-old, Katherine, thrives on variety. She loves healthy dinner leftovers like spring rolls and sushi, or tortilla wraps with shredded veggies and cheese. She snacks on baby carrots, celery and cherry tomatoes dipped in low-fat ranch dressing. She also packs a mean rice salad with dried cranberries, raisins, pine nuts or white tuna.

Fourteen-year-old Rebecca is a different story. She derives comfort from eating the same foods day in and day out. Zanecosky mixes up Rebecca's peanut butter sandwich routine with a sprinkling of raisins, shredded carrots, sliced bananas, coconut, even a few chocolate chips.

Rebecca also carries grapes or a banana every day. She's learning to like apples. But Zanecosky's attempts to incorporate other fruits haven't taken.

"She's been eating grapes and peanut butter sandwiches since she was 3," Zanecosky said.

Mom doesn't push variety on Rebecca at lunch, knowing she'll get more at dinner. She does insist on milk for healthy bones, even though Rebecca complains she's the only one at her lunch table drinking it.

Both daughters get a treat each day: two cookies or a small piece of candy, in keeping with the 80-20 rule.