When freshman Julian Elortegui was asked about his worst lunch, he cringed.

“It was a cream cheese, relish, and jalapeño sandwich. Apparently my mom was in a hurry and cleaning out the fridge.”

Sadly, many packed lunches these days are not nutritious and fail to meet the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) standards.

When rushing to get to school in the morning, many students do not budget enough time to pack their lunch. The truth is that there is just enough time to grab a candy bar or a bag of chips. Unfortunately, these foods will not give you the energy you need to keep you on your feet and ready to learn for the whole day.

A well-balanced lunch should include:

• 1 ounce of grains: a slice of bread; a cup of ready-to-eat cereal; ½ cup of rice or pasta; or 3 cups of popcorn.
• 1 ounce of protein: an ounce of fish or meat; ¼ cup of cooked beans; ¼ cup of tofu
• ½ cup of fruit: ½ small apple; ½ large banana; peach or orange; 16 seedless grapes
• ¾ cup of vegetables: 1 ½ large stalks of celery; ¾ cup of baby carrots
• 1 cup of dairy: 1 cup of milk; cheese stick; 1 cup of pudding

In the end, it’s worth your time to pack a balanced lunch because it improves your mood. According to The Dairy Council, a person’s eating habits are typically acquired during his/her childhood. Therefore, healthy choices made now are the key to a healthy lifelong lifestyle. And as for Julian, he now packs his own lunch.