Better Back to School Lunches and Munches

(Family Features) Making sure kids get balanced and nutritious school lunches and after-school snacks doesn't have to be hard. In fact, it can be fun.

If your child leaves most of his or her sandwich behind, use cookie cutters to create a favorite shape such as an airplane, car, star or heart. The fun shape might encourage your child to finish the entire sandwich. A colorful selection of food and different texture adds appeal -- carrot sticks and green grapes for color, whole wheat pretzels and crackers for crunch. Put a surprise in your child's lunch: a sticker, a note of encouragement, or a small toy. Children love the do-it-yourself aspect of building their own pizza or making their own cracker stack. You can make the experience fun and healthier by cubing Boar's Head meats and cheeses and putting them in a bag along with some low-salt crackers. Roll Boar's Head meats and cheeses for dipping into condiments -- it will make a hungry child happy and keep them satisfied until dinner time.Wendy MacDonald wmacdonald@familyfeatures.com 1-888-824-3337 ext. 235 http://editors.familyfeatures.comSpread cream cheese on one side of tortilla. Place turkey slices evenly over tortilla, then add spinach leaves and sliced apple. Roll tortilla tightly, tucking ingredients as you roll. Slice wrap in half diagonally and serve.

Turkey Kabobs
Servings: 12 2 slices Boar's Head Ovengold® Turkey Breast, sliced ¼-inch thick
2 slices Boar's Head Yellow Cheddar Cheese, sliced ¼-inch thick
12 grapes, white seedless Toothpicks, long

Cut turkey and cheese into cubes. Place a cube of turkey on a toothpick, followed by a cube of cheese and then a grape. Repeat with remaining items. Arrange on a plate and serve.

NOTE: Instead of toothpicks, try using pretzel sticks instead.Parents can ensure kids get a lunch that's good for them -- and that they'll eat -- by making it themselves with products they trust. All Boar's Head Brand® deli meats and cheeses are gluten free, and there are dozens of lower sodium and heart-healthy options to choose from, as well. No matter what your health priority, you can rest assured your family is in good hands with Boar's Head.About Family Features Editorial Syndicate This and other food and lifestyle content can be found at www.editors.familyfeatures.com . Family Features is a leading provider of free food and lifestyle content for use in print and online publications. Register with no obligation to access a variety of formatted and unformatted features, accompanying photos, and automatically updating Web content solutions.Here are some simple tips from Boar's Head for lunches and munches kids will love:Another fun idea is to start a family food album where you and your kids keep track of the foods that provide nourishment and the ones that offer little or no nutritional value. Have your kids cut photos of food and nutrition labels making note of those foods that are considered healthy and those that are not. Your kids will learn about healthy eating and enjoy fun arts and crafts projects, too.Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1699538

Wendy MacDonald wmacdonald@familyfeatures.com 1-888-824-3337 ext. 235 http://editors.familyfeatures.com