As a parent you may be looking forward to sending the kids back to school, but one thing you might be dreading is packing that lunch everyday.

You want to send them off with good, nutritious food, but you also want them to eat what you pack.Thanks to a few tips from Christina Fava, in-store nutritionist for Giant Food Stores in Montgomeryville, it's easier than you think."I think the big thing is to try to include as many food groups as possible," says Fava.There are five food groups as described by the government website, Choose My Plate at

https://www.choosemyplate.gov. They are: vegetables, protein, fruits, grains and dairy. Fava says when packing lunch, you should choose a minimum of three of those groups, but always make sure one is protein."It will make you feel fuller longer because it takes longer to digest," she says. "A good example is turkey, cheese, yogurt or hard boiled egg."Fava also recommends using a bento box to pack lunches. These are lunchboxes that have four or five spaces for each food item. She says to include as much color as possible: orange carrots, green grapes, a turkey cheese roll up, whole grain crackers."Include something in each space in the box."Fava says it's also helpful for parents to sit down with their kids and make up a list of their favorite foods within each of the food groups.It's also helpful if parents sit down with kids and make up a list of their favorite foods within the food groups. There's nothing worse than opening up their lunch and finding food they don't like. Mix and match each food group. That way it won't be the same, and they get bored. Having that list available is helpful.She also says to involve them in meal planning, especially for their lunches."It saves time and effort in the long run. And definitely make sure their voices are heard from a packing standpoint. They can help pack the night before and will know what they are getting," says Fava."They will be happier and more satisfied as well."Try for balanceFava says by following the My Plate visual and selecting from the five food groups, it can help keep their diet well balanced.If you continually vary what you pack for lunch, the nutrients they miss out on one day, could be made up the next day."When it comes to fruit and vegetables, make sure it's not always the same each day, because they each have a different amount of nutrients," says Fava. "Try to vary. There are different nutrients in fruits and vegetables. Try to get away from always having the same thing. That's why it's helpful to have the list and choose from each food group. This way they get the nutrients they need."Fava also says to try eating the rainbow, as well as trying new a fruit or vegetable each week as a way to encourage variety.Kindergarten through collegeFava says it's important to hit those five food groups no matter how old you are, or you won't be getting all of the nutrients you need during the day."It's good to get the day going with breakfast. Same for lunch. Hit as many food groups as possible," she says."I encourage people not to wait to eat vegetables until dinner. Have a smoothie for breakfast with a handful of kale or spinach. Hit those food groups with as many as possible. Don't wait for dinner. Mix up some egg muffins with veggies for breakfast. Make them with peppers, onions, greens, Swiss chard, kale, broccoli, zucchini. Chop fine into the egg mixture, bake them, then reheat in the morning. It's convenient for during the week. Just grab and go."On the weekend, you can make an omelet and include all those veggies."Purchase vs packEven if you're determined to pack lunch for your kids every day, there may be times they'll have to buy lunch at school. If so, is there as much nutrition in a purchased lunch as in a packed lunch?"It's hard to say," says Fava. "They're doing a better job to provide options, but what are the kids choosing? It's fine if they want to buy, but make sure there is balance involved. If they're buying cookies, they'll be hungry later. They're not getting the energy needed to concentrate and make it through the day. They should choose colorful produce, fruit, salad and something like chicken for protein."After school snacksWhen dishing out the after school snacks, Fava says don't stray from those food groups."Make sure you eat at least two food groups for after school snacks. Don't just grab a handful of pretzels. Select vegetables and hummus, fruit and cheese, fruit and peanut butter, cheese and crackers. And yogurt has carbs as well as protein.Thirsty"I always recommend hydration," says Fava, who says we should drink half our body weight in ounces of water each day."I also recommend Nature's Promise flavored water - cucumber or fruit infused."She says kids should have milk for calcium, and you should limit juice to 4 ounces. You could even dilute that by half."If a child had juice in the morning, they shouldn't have juice for lunch or dinner. You need to make sure they're getting enough calcium first."