It’s 11a.m. and you haven’t had anything to eat and you feel like you’re starving. You stop by the vending machine and purchase a few things for lunch. What just happened here? You spent around $2 to $3 to get 2 or 3 items from the snack machine and a soft drink. You didn’t get much food, but you got a whole lot of calories and fat.

That’s the problem with not planning; even though you might know which lunch and snack choices are healthy, if you haven’t planned for healthy lunches and snacks in your day, sometimes you’re stuck with unhealthy choices.

To avoid what just happened takes PLANNING. We have to think about the time we will be away from home and plan ahead for healthy meals and snacks. We also need to think about where we will be and what we will be doing. Will there be a refrigerator where we’re going or do we need to plan things that do not need to be kept in the refrigerator?

If you aren’t going to a place that has a refrigerator, and you don’t have a cooler, there are still a lot of options for filling your lunch/ snack bag with tasty choices:

Dry unsweetened cereal

Fresh fruit

Rice cakes

Raisins or other dried fruit

Peanut butter sandwich

Pretzel

Graham crackers

Low-fat granola bars

Baked chips

Low-fat crackers

Bottled water

If you have access to a refrigerator or cooler, you can take even more items:

Cut up vegetables

Cut up fruit

Turkey sandwich

Low-fat yogurt

Low-fat pudding

100 percent fruit or vegetable juice

Think of your lunch/ snack bag as your survival kit for Eating Smart. If you have to stop for fast food, get something out of the vending machine, or grab something from a convenience store, you may have a really hard time finding healthy options. You’ll likely spend more money than if you bring something from home.

Children that are with you during the day can benefit from eating healthy items in your lunch/ snack bag that you’ve packed. Older children can even help you pack the bag.

Children that are in school should take advantage of lunches prepared at school. Regular school lunch is a great choice to make sure your child gets a balanced meal.

Talk with your children about the food choices available at school. Discuss with them which choices are better. Help them to choose the regular school lunch. The regular school lunch is healthier and also helps save money.

Make healthy lunches and snacks a habit for you and your family. That’s the key.