What started as a simple query — “How to pack a healthy lunch for your child to bring to school” — turned out to be like opening up a can of gummy worms . . . I mean, healthy snacks.

Thank Steven Johndro, Erin Guay and Denise Dill, who are all about nutrition and healthy living that goes far beyond school lunches.

And that’s the point really. Healthy school lunches are important, but they are just part of the effort to ensure our children eat healthy all the time and establish even better eating and lifestyle habits for their children. If children eat relatively healthy at home, getting them to eat healthy lunches will be easier.

Johndro is executive director of Healthy Androscoggin. His agency is introducing a new program called 5-2-1-0 Let’s Go!, aimed at preventing childhood obesity.

The four numbers in the program stand for: five servings of fruits and vegetables a day; two hours or less of recreational “screen” time (and none for kids under the age of 2); one hour of physical activity or more; and no sugary drinks.

Eating more vegetables is one way to eat more healthy — lunch or any meal — and Johndro made two suggestions:

— Change it up. Cook the vegetables in different ways, or serve them raw. Tastes change, he said.

— Keep trying. Johndro said kids often have to experiment many times — sometimes 30 or more — before taking to a food.

Erin Guay, who is manager of Healthy Androscoggin’s physical activity, nutrition and tobacco programs, said it’s helpful to get kids involved with their food. “Kids that grow their own vegetables are more apt to try them,” she said.

Getting them involved can include shopping for, preparing and cooking vegetables. “Let them select which vegetables or fruits you will serve.”

Denise Dill, community cooking educator for St. Mary’s Nutrition Center, said that in terms of nutrients, try to get your children to eat as many dark, leafy greens and dark orange vegetables as possible.

What are the chances?

Dill said a parent’s best friend can be the blender. She pointed out you can puree things like spinach, sweet potato or black beans, and add the puree to all types of recipes if your child refuses to eat them separately.

OK, so healthy eating goes beyond lunch. But you still need to fill the lunch box.

So Dill offered some tips, including many on this page. In general, Dill said each meal should contain the main item, a fruit, a snack and a healthy drink. (See the healthy drink recipe.)

The 5-2-1-0 Let’s Go! program also suggests parents include a combination of textures, colors, shapes and flavors in each meal. This is a particularly good guideline to follow when it comes to packing a child’s lunch, Johndro said.

To learn more about 5-2-1-0, go to www.letsgo.org. The website offers free tool kits for each sector of the program. Parents can access lots of ideas on how to incorporate healthier choices for their children’s meals, including lunches. They include the “10 Ways to Help Kids Eat more Fruit and Veggies” worksheet, lots of kid-friendly recipes and activities, and techniques on using non-food rewards — ways to celebrate a job well done without using sweets as a prize.

Lunch box and snack tips

(From St. Mary’s Nutrition Center of Maine)

For easier spreading, freeze breads first, then make your sandwiches. This can also help keep foods chilled and it will be thawed in time for lunch.

A wide-mouth thermos can keep things hot as well as cold, which opens up a host of lunchtime possibilities. How about soups or pastas, or even stir-frys?

Use frozen ice packs to help keep cold foods cold. Freezing drinks (water or 100 percent juice) can also help keep foods cold (keep in mind a frozen container is likely to sweat while thawing, so wrap your other food well so it doesn’t get soggy).

When it comes to snacks:

Make big batches of healthy snacks at one time and store them in individual serving-sized baggies or containers. This is great for when you are on the go and might not have time to prepare something healthy.

Combine a protein and carbohydrate for a more filling snack. Try a hard-boiled egg on a slice of whole wheat toast, or celery sticks filled with low-fat cottage cheese or peanut butter.

Snacks are a good way to introduce new foods. Include a game or activity to learn about the new food and let your child help put it together.

Set aside “snack spots” in your refrigerator and cupboard; keep them well-stocked with nutritious, ready-to-eat snacks.

Better: Popcorn, fresh fruit, fruit smoothies, yogurt (topped with low-fat granola and fresh fruit), frozen fruit bars (made with 100 percent fruit-juice), vegetables with light dip, cereal (higher-fiber, lower-sugar options such as oatmeal), dried fruit, nuts, whole wheat pretzels, rice cakes and peanut butter.

Not so good: Cookies, cakes, pre-packaged granola bars (especially chewy ones, or those coated in chocolate, cheese and crackers (unless using low-fat cheese on whole-grain, low-fat crackers), chips, nachos.

10 ways to pack a tortilla for lunch

Use whole-wheat tortillas. Warm up in the microwave first, to make them easy to roll and fold. They can be heated in the oven first, to help the melt cheese and make the ingredients stick together better, and then eaten at room temperature at lunch time.

1. Veggie quesadillas: Slice up your favorite colorful veggies, pile them on a whole-wheat tortilla and sprinkle a thin layer of cheese on top. For extra protein add black beans. For a crispier quesadilla, pan fry in a skillet until tortilla browns and cheese melts. You can also add a second tortilla on top of the cheese and pan fry both sides to make it crispy. Cut into pie-shaped wedges and wrap in tinfoil.

2. Fruit pizzas: Smear a thin layer of cream cheese on a tortilla, slice up your favorite fruits and pile them on top.

3. Veggie pizzas: Spread a thin layer of pizza/tomato sauce on a tortilla, slice up your favorite colorful veggies and sprinkle with cheese.

4. Fruit and peanut butter roll-ups: Apply a generous amount of peanut butter (or any other kind of nut butter) and add your favorite fresh fruits, like apples and bananas. Try dried fruit, too, such as raisins or apricots. Roll up and enjoy! Add honey for a sweeter roll-up.

5. Tortilla chips with salsa: Lightly brush several whole-wheat tortillas with oil, stack them on top of one another (oiled side up), cut into quarters, arrange on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until they are slightly brown. Pack a small container of salsa or bean dip for dipping.

6. Bean burritos: Place 1 or 2 tablespoons of black beans or refried beans on a tortilla, sprinkle with garlic powder and chili powder, add tomatoes and any other veggie you’d like, cover with cheese, roll up, and place in a lightly oiled casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool before wrapping them up to send to school.

7. Breakfast burritos: Warm up tortillas, fill with eggs, veggies and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and bake slightly, if desired to melt the cheese. Wrap and go!

8. Tortillas: Simply stuff with cottage cheese and bananas, apples or other fruit.

9. Veggie wraps: Try making any of your favorite sandwiches on a tortilla. Make sure to add as many veggies as possible. Try using mustard instead of mayo. Roll up and enjoy!

10. Wrap sandwich: Spread tortilla with your favorite sandwich filling . . . tuna fish, ham, turkey breast, egg salad or chicken salad mixed with chopped celery. Top with fresh spinach, chopped grapes, shredded carrots, low-fat cheese, tomatoes, olives, pickles or condiments of your choice. Pack in a lunch box with an ice pack to keep cool.

Suggested reading:

Nutrition specialist Denise Dill said you can find more suggestions on how to sneak fruits and vegetables into your kids’ diets in “Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food,” by Jessica Seinfield.

A fun and easy way to get 5-a-day

5-a-Day bracelets are a visual tool to remind children to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

What you need: Five “jelly” bracelets.

How?

1. Each morning, have your child put all five bracelets on his/her RIGHT wrist.

2. Each time they have a serving of fruit or vegetables, they move one bracelet over to their LEFT wrist.

3. The goal is to get all five bracelets onto their LEFT wrist by bedtime.

Tangy Veggie Dip

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons finely chopped carrots

1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion, white part

1 large radish, finely chopped

2 inches of celery, finely chopped

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)

1 dash hot pepper sauce

Directions:

Place the cheese in a mixer or food processor, at medium speed, and blend to a creamy consistency. Add additional ingredients and blend on low till fully mixed. Store in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for 24 hours allowing the flavors to mingle.

Serve on toasted bagels, with strips of fresh veggies, with crackers, or use as an omelet filling.

Health drinking

Healthy Androscoggin says one of the healthiest changes you can make to a child’s diet is to eliminate sugary drinks, including putting limits on juice products.

Go to www.sunjournal.com to see Van Beckman, Healthy Androscoggin’s Let’s Go! Androscoggin coordinator, compare the amount of sugar typically found in popular beverages. He said their drink guidelines include:

1. Beware those drinks labeled “-ade,” “drink” or “punch.” They often contain 5 percent juice or less. The only difference between these “juices” and soda is that they’re fortified with vitamin C.

2. Always try to choose whole fruits over a juice product.

3. If you choose to serve juice to your children, buy only 100 percent juice (no additional sugar added).

4. Each day, juice should be limited to: 4 to 6 ounces for children 1-6 years old; 8 to 12 ounces for children 7-18 years old; and NO juice for children 6 months and under.

5. Make changes slowly by adding water to dilute your child’s juice over time.

6. Always suggest a glass of water or low- fat milk (unflavored) instead of juice.

Here’s a drink recipe for a healthy alternative to soda and other sugary drinks:

Bubbly OJ

Use any 100 percent fruit juice you prefer (i.e. grape, apple, cranberry, etc.). As time goes by, you may be able to cut back on how much juice concentrate is needed. Nutrition specialist Denise Dill suggests use of this recipe “as a treat every now and again — not every day.” Because the carbonized water contains phosphorous, it can lead to calcium depletion.

Ingredients:

About 2 tablespoons 100 percent frozen orange juice (from concentrate)

Plain seltzer water

Directions: Mix together in a glass or pitcher to taste. Add ice; serve immediately.

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