How to Pack a Lunch for Teens

Helping children eat nutritiously during the teenage years is an essential step in helping them develop a healthy lifestyle. Children grow rapidly during adolescence, and a healthy diet is crucial for providing them with the nutrients they need. These basic guidelines will help you provide a healthy lunch for your teen -- and will help your teen develop the healthy eating habits that will benefit her long term. As you pack lunches for your teen, keep in mind that the best diet involves variety and moderation. Choose a variety of foods from each food group to give your child the most complete nutrition.

Instructions

    • 1

      Start with vegetables, an essential part of a healthy diet. Teen girls should have four servings of vegetables per day, and teen boys should have five. So try to include one to two servings in each lunch. One serving of vegetables is about a half cup. Choose a variety of vegetables to get the most complete nutritional benefits for your child. Vegetables that are great for packing include carrots, celery, broccoli, spinach and peppers. If your teen doesn't typically like vegetables, you can add a small amount of light salad dressing or hummus for flavor.

    • 2

      Add at least one serving of fruit. Fruit is another staple of a healthy diet because it is full of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Teen girls should have three servings per day. Teen boys should strive for four servings. A serving of fruit is about a half cup. Fruits that are easy to pack include apples, oranges, grapes, blueberries and strawberries.

    • 3

      Include dairy products, such as milk, low-fat yogurt or cheese. Teen girls and boys should have four to five servings of dairy per day, so be sure to include one or two servings in your teen's lunch. Dairy products are especially critical for teens because bones grow rapidly during adolescence, and calcium helps build strong bones and helps prevent bone loss later in life.

    • 4

      Choose whole-grain products for your teen's lunch. Whole grains are more nutritious and have more fiber than refined grains. Teenage girls should have about nine servings of grains per day, while teenage boys should have about 11. Two slices of whole-wheat bread in a sandwich will provide two servings of grains. Other healthy choices include whole-wheat tortillas, whole-wheat pasta, whole-grain cereal and oatmeal.

    • 5

      Provide lean sources of protein. The body needs protein to build, maintain and repair tissue. Teen girls need two to three servings of protein per day for a total of six ounces. Teen boys should have two to three servings that total seven ounces. Turkey or chicken can be a good choice for a sandwich. Eggs, fish, nuts and beans are other good sources of protein.

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