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"Dread sending your kid off to school to eat a calorie-packed hot lunch? Not sure what to include in a brown bag that&amp;apos;s healthy, affordable -- and still appealing to your children? Celeb nutritionist and Skinny Chicks Don&amp;apos;t Eat Salads author Christine Avanti (clients include Jeremy Piven and Samantha Harris), tells UsMagazine.com, &amp;quot;Eating balanced meals helps kids stabilize blood sugar, which helps keep them calm, happy and alert throughout the day.&amp;quot; Avanti recommends those 7 to 10 consume 2,000 calories a day.&amp;#xA0; Read on for her tips:\r\nVIDEO: Try these moves at the gym1. Keep the Sweet and Salty - but Opt for Healthy Alternatives&amp;quot;Apple slices, blueberries or FruitaBu all-organic fruit leather, which is made by Kashi and has no high-fructose corn syrup&amp;quot; are all good options, Avanti tells Us. She recommends replacing greasy potato chips with Popchips, which come in 100-calorie servings. Other ideas: string cheese, hummus dip with celery, crunchy red pepper slices and organic juice boxes with real juice instead of anything made from concentrate and packed with preservatives.\r\nPHOTOS: How stars fight cravings2. Disguise Foods So Kids Will Eat Them&amp;quot;Give the foods silly names -- such as ants on a log for peanut butter-covered bananas with raisons,&amp;quot; suggests Avanti. She also recommends sneaking healthy ingredients into kid-friendly food, like slices of tomatoes in grilled cheese or baking blueberry menus with organic apple sauce instead of refined white sugar and butter.\r\nPHOTOS: The No-gym workout3. Don&amp;apos;t Break the Bank Buying Expensive IngredientsAn affordable meal: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with natural peanut butter and no sugar, all-fruit preservatives. Other ideas with price-conscious ingredients include Greek yogurt granola parfait, turkey and cheddar wrap in a whole-wheat tortilla and a whole-wheat bagel dipped into fruity cream cheese, a mixture of organic fruit spread and fresh fruit."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/star-nutritionist-easy-affordable-healthy-kids-lunches-2010108>