Photos: Balance Nutrition and Taste, Reduce F...(: Plan meals and snacks a week in ...),Health

• Plan meals and snacks a week in advance with your child's input.
• Recycle leftovers by turning baked chicken into a soft taco or chicken salad.
• Participate in the school lunch program in full or buy a la carte items like regular or flavored milk and fruit at school.
• Break the sandwich rut. Pack pita pockets filled with fresh fruit and yogurt, whole-grain crackers and cheese or carrot and cucumber "chips" to dip in salsa, yogurt dressing or hummus.
  

Meals Matter offers other waste-reducing back-to-school lunch ideas, including:

• Packing cloth napkins instead of paper towels.
• Using forks and spoons provided at school.
• Buying food and beverage items in larger quantities and using small, reusable containers packed in a lunch box, insulated bag or a backpack instead of a paper bag.
  

For more information, www.mealsmatter.org

Meals Matter is a non-commercial family nutrition and meal-planning website staffed by registered dietitians and sponsored by Dairy Council of California. Healthy Eating Made Easier(R).