Health, Food & Nutrition

Your Child’s Lunch: A Snapshot

Follow this quick guide for a well balanced meal.

Open faced peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a favorite lunch among ADHD kids
Open faced peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a favorite lunch among ADHD kids

A complete and balanced lunch contains several foods high in carbohydrates and at least one food high in protein, plus a little fat. Here’s how a typical kid’s lunch breaks down:

Menu

  • Peanut butter and jelly on whole-wheat bread
  • 1/2 carrot
  • 1 string cheese stick
  • 6 ounces of apple juice
  • A cup of fat-free chocolate pudding

Nutritional Value

  • 675 calories (58% carbohydrates, 17% protein, 26% fat)
  • Half of a child’s daily calcium requirement
  • 100% of his vitamin A
  • Significant amounts of many other vitamins and minerals.

That’s a pretty well balanced meal.