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Community Corner

Back to School in Ballwin? Brown-Bagging Tops

With school starting in one week, Ballwin-Ellisville Patch's Health & Fitness columnist talks about the real value behind brown-bagging that next lunch.

Some of you may know that I aspire to compete in fitness competitions on the national bodybuilding circuit. As part of that goal, I'm training for the first time for the bikini division, which requires a strict nutrition regimen. But like most people, I sometimes work 12-hour days, going directly from graduate classes to work or volunteer activities.

Especially for our readers with children, meals on the go and packing lunches for school both are likely all-too-familiar scenarios. Especially with the long school days today's kids frequently have, it's tempting for many families to hand over a few dollars earmarked for a cheeseburger or nachos come lunch time.

But with a little planning, you can start your children and yourself off with healthy habits for the starting school year (don't forget, parents: Parkway schools begin Tuesday, Aug. 16 while Rockwood schools start Wednesday, Aug. 17).

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Alanna Kellogg, a second-generation food writer and home cook of Kirkwood who features healthy food on her site Kitchen Parade, finds that breakfast and lunch are great choices for enforcing healthy habits.

"Everyone's choices will be different, but the idea is to develop routines that are do-able, repeatable, affordable and most of all, healthy," Kellogg said.

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She recommends a "Quick 'n' Easy Raw Salad" with a variety of your choice of vegetables, spices and more. She even offers tips for making transport and clean-up easy on busy readers.

Michelle Cox is a freelance writing specialist based in Wildwood, and her busy work has her constantly on the go. In addition, Cox is a marathon runner. She finds that always having a healthy snack with her helps her resist temptation for unhealthy convenience food.

"Everyone who knows me knows I travel with Sabra Supremely Spicy Hummus and a bag of carrots." Cox said.

The healthy-lunch-for-kids movement is booming, with websites dedicated to the integration of good food that kids will like. One example of such a success is "The Sneaky Chef" best sellers, which integrates vegetables into brownies and more.

Another trick I've had good luck with is cooking at the end of the weekend in order to set up lunch for the week ahead; I like to grill fish and chicken on Sundays, then pack them so they're available when I leave home at 7 a.m. I also try to portion out small meals of whole fruits and vegetables so I'm not tempted to get a candy bar.

For children, knowing the foods they will eat is vital. If your daughter doesn't like spinach and that's what you put in her lunch, don't be surprised if she trades some of those Lisa Frank pens you bought her in order to eat something a little sweeter at lunchtime. Ask them to create a list with you of foods that they'd like in their lunches. When candy or chips show up, talk to them about nutrients, sports, feeling and looking healthy, and how a smart lunch can help make those things happen.

Another very important aspect for keeping brown-bag lunches safe is to make sure lunches do not sit out past four hours, said Joyce Theard, Environmental Specialist for St. Louis County Department of Health.

Some slogans her department came up with include: "For brown sacks, use a cold pack." If your food has been out too long and you wonder about its safety, Theard said "When in doubt, throw it out".

Lunches you pack yourself will always be the one where no ingredients are hidden. Frozen dinners from home sometimes are tempting, but often have very high sodium and preservatives, as do processed foods.

My personal favorite snacks on-the-go come from nature: Raw veggies, unsalted almonds and boiled eggs.

A few of the inspiring sites I found for healthy lunches include:

Eating Well

Laptop Lunches

WebMD - Cheap and Healthy Brown-Bag Lunch Ideas for Grown-Ups

For more information on safely brown-bagging lunches:

Saint Louis County Department of Health: Food and restaurants

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