ASK THE
FOOD EXPERTS
School Lunch Q&A
While moms and dads are on the front lines of packing school lunches, chefs and nutritionists
can approach this daily task from a different point of view informed by their professional
experiences. We asked three food experts to weigh in on the topic:
Q. What is your philosophy for
packing school lunches? Do you
focus on health and nutrition,
or something that your child
will actually eat? Is it possible to
achieve both?
supermarkets or farmers markets to
Dr. Kantor: “When you are packing
preparing the food helps educate them
the lunch, keep balance in mind. Limit
and makes them more aware of what
processed grains and empty calories
they are eating and this generates
like cookies, crackers, and juice. If they
interest to try new or different foods.”
like dessert, then pack a piece of dark
Chef Lee: “Lunches should be fun and
involved with the planning process they
delicious. If it isn’t delicious, it doesn’t
will feel like they “own” the lunch and
matter how healthy it is, your child
will be less likely to throw away things
won’t eat it anyway.”
that they do not want. Teachers and
Chef Tang: “It has to be easy to whip
cafeteria staff report that fruits and
up but still able to provide nutrition
vegetables end up in the trash in most
that he needs with a good balance. It is
school cafeterias.”
parents need to spend a little more time
exploring different foods with your kid
and showing them that food can be fun.”
Dr. Kantor: “The key to a perfect school
lunch is balance and it also has to
appeal to your child. Children truly eat
Q. Should kids have a dessert-
type addition to their lunch, such
as a pudding pack or candy?
What about chips? Soda?
Chef Lee: “No chips, no soda, no candy
but I always pack a dessert, maybe a
chocolate. Removing items that are high
in sugar like juice and cookies will increase
their ability to focus in classes after their
lunch period. It has been reported
that over 12 million American children
are medicated for Attention Deﬁ cient
Disorder (ADD). Sugar and excessive
carbohydrates magnify symptoms of ADD
in children, healthy fats like nuts, and oils
help reduce symptoms of ADD. Always
pack water over juice. Packing a large
water bottle is the best thing you could
send with your child every day.”
Q. What is your child’s
FAVORITE thing to ﬁ nd in their
school lunch?
with their eyes and if it does not look
chocolate covered pretzel or a bran
good then they probably will not eat
cookie with chocolate chips. Dessert
Chef Lee: “Hot dog with ketchup on the
it. Try to include protein, healthy fats,
can be sweet but some of them also
side.” and color with a fruit or veggie in each
have ingredients other than just sugar.

Whole wheat cookies are a good option.”
Chef Tang: “His favorite thing to ﬁ nd is
meal.” Q. How much does your child
participate in the packing of
school lunches? Choice? Variety?
Actual packing for themselves?
Chef Lee: “I try to get her involved as
much as possible. If she feels like she
‘chose’ her lunch, she is more likely to
eat it.”
Chef Tang: “I think kids should have
a dessert type addition to their lunch!
I have a sweet tooth and most meals
will need to end with dessert. We
try to limit his sugar intake. It takes
a conscious effort but after a while
we realize that we ourselves are also
cutting down on our sugar intake. I
think chips are ﬁ ne if eaten not every
Chef Tang: “I think involving the
day and we don’t drink sodas so that’s
kid from grocery shopping at
not really a problem right now.”
26 September 2018
washingtonFAMILY.com a banana.”
Chef Edward Lee, culinary director for
Succotash in National Harbor, MD and
Penn Quarter, D.C., and father of ﬁ ve-
year-old Arden Rose.

Chef Nicholas Tang, executive chef of
DBGB in D.C. and father of three-year
old Elijah and ﬁ ve-month old Micah.

Dr. Keith Kantor, a leading nutritionist
and CEO of the Nutritional Addiction
Mitigation Eating and Drinking
(NAMED) program.

ThitareeSarmkasat/iStock / Getty Images Plus
possible to achieve both, it is just that
Dr. Kantor: “If your child is actually