It’s a common parental dilemma: conjuring up easy, nutritious
school lunches that your child will actually eat. Ideally, you’d
send your children off each day with a wild-caught salmon
fillet, a scoop of barley risotto, and a crisp salad; in real
life, that wholesome lunch would likely come home each day,
well, still whole. To raise your lunch-box success ratio, we’ve
gathered grocery-shopping and preparation tips to keep kids
satisfied—and well fueled—until the last bell rings. During
weekly or twice-weekly shopping trips, load your basket with
foods that will feed your child’s brain, says Coralee Thompson,
MD, coauthor of Healthy Brains, Healthy Children (Barmore,
2009). If your kitchen is stocked with convenient, whole foods,
you (and your kids) will be less likely to rely on processed,
packaged foods or whatever the school cafeteria is serving that
day. Plan dinners and lunches will follow. Heat up leftover
soups, stews, or whole-grain pastas (if necessary) and pack them
in an insulated stainless-steel co