Baby peeled

carrots can often be purchased in snack pack sizes, some as small as three

ounces.

Fruit is another

convenient and healthy option like apples, bananas, and grapes. Raisins

or Craisins, a cranberry-raisin combination, are tasty dried fruit alternatives

that are easy to purchase in bulk and remain fresh for days.

If raw fruit

and veggies don't do the trick, fruit cups like Mott's Applesauce, Del

Monte fruit cups, or Dole FruitBowls add a little bit of zing to a school

lunch and are also easy to pack. Since these can be purchased in single

servings, it's easy to add in something healthy to a school lunch.

Yogurt cups

such as DANNON Danimals Yogurt, with vitamin D and calcium, are another

healthful option.

That little something extra

Filling up

a growing boy or girl can be difficult, but instead of reaching for sugar

or fat-laden foods that can weigh kids down at lunchtime, there are several

alternatives that can be added to a school lunch or make great after-school

snacks, including:

Frigo string

cheese is a fun way for kids to get calcium in their diets.

Nature Valley

Granola Bars or Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Bars can be eaten as "dessert"

or make a healthy breakfast for families on-the-go.

Washing it down

No matter how

badly they want it, it's always a good idea to avoid packing sugar-packed

sodas in a growing child's lunch. There are many alternatives to soda

on the market, many of which will, believe it or not, appeal to kids.

And you can place frozen fruit drinks packaged in foil or cartons in the

lunch box to keep foods cool until lunchtime.

V8 Splash

has more of the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E than orange juice and

is now available in single-servings and has a light, fresh taste.

Tropicana

Pure Premium Healthy Kids Orange Juice is also available in a package

of six, and Kool-Aid Jammers, available in ready-to-go pouches, are convenient

alternatives to soda.

Drinking water

is a very good habit to learn at an early age, and many water bottle companies

make kid-sized bottled water that are ideal for children's lunches.

Many discount

retailers, like Wal-Mart, sell a variety of foods and snacks to make convenient,

inexpensive, and wholesome school lunches.

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