School cafeteria lunches can be full of salt, fat and concentrated sugars, none of which are good for kids.

Many school lunches have more than 2,000 milligrams of sodium (salt)—more than a whole day’s suggested intake for an adult—in just one child-sized meal.

We know one in seven children is salt-sensitive. That means, if they eat a high-salt diet for several years, they will develop high blood pressure and all the diseases that come along with it. So, how can you prevent future health problems and be sure your children get the best nutrition when they are away from home?

Pack school lunches with your family. This will teach all of you a lot about good nutrition.

Pick a quiet time to sit down with your children and make a list of foods they like and will eat. Children are much more likely to eat foods that they have helped pick out, so take them shopping with you.

Focus on good nutrition as a goal for their meals. Just like doing homework is important, so is eating right.

Here are some ideas to get you started. Remember, lunch doesn’t always have to mean a sandwich.

Cold salads like pasta or tuna-rice salad can be fixed a day ahead. Use a cooler-type lunch box to keep your child’s lunch nicely chilled throughout the day.

Bring low-sodium cottage cheese with fresh berries and a whole-wheat roll. How about low-sodium crackers with tuna salad and cheese with grapes or watermelon?

Hard-boiled eggs are a good, easy-to-carry source of protein. Cook several at a time and mark the shell with a pencil, so you know which eggs are precooked.

Leftover cold fried or baked chicken with fruit and a roll makes a great lunch, too.

All lunch meats are high in sodium. Try some of the following recipes for tasty sandwiches without the extra sodium.

Egg Salad

3 hard cooked eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 stalk celery, diced
¼ tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. paprika

Tuna Salad

1 can tuna, rinsed and drained
¼ cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. lemon juice
¼ cup cucumber, chopped

Meat Filling

1 cup leftover meat (cook extra the night before), finely chopped or ground
¼ cup onion, minced
¼ cup celery, chopped
¼ cup mayonnaise

Cream Cheese Spread

8-oz. package cream cheese
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ tsp. tarragon
2 slices avocado
Mix together all ingredients except avocado. Spread on wheat bread and top with avocado slices.

Other low-sodium sandwich ideas:

Peanut butter and jelly
Cheese (Cheddar or Swiss, not processed cheeses)
Bagel and cream cheese
Meatloaf sandwich
Your own fresh (not deli meat) sliced turkey, or chicken sandwich

What to drink? Milk is always the best choice for growing kids and teenagers, but try the following if your child won’t or can’t tolerate milk:

Lactose-free milk
Rice milk/almond milk
Yogurt drinks like kefir
Lemonade/limeade
Cranberry juice
Apple juice/grape juice
Peach nectar/pear nectar
Water

More lunch box ideas:

Unsalted pretzels
Unsalted corn chips
Rice cakes
Graham crackers
Low-sodium popcorn
Carrot and celery sticks
Grapes
Berries
Watermelon
Cookies

Katy G. Wilkens is a department head for Northwest Kidney Center and has a master of science degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Washington.