School lunch planning is in the bag, if you follow these tips

School's getting underway, and with it the dilemma over crafting lunches that make the grade on nutrition and calories - and that kids will actually eat.

Kids' lunches should have a fruit, a vegetable, two servings of grain, two ounces of meat or beans, a serving of dairy and a smidge of healthful fat, said Andrea Giancoli, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Choose foods that are low in sugar, salt and "solid" fats (those that, like butter, are solid at room temperature).

MyPyramid.gov offers a menu planner that will help you meet dietary guidelines based on age, gender, height, weight and activity level.

Here are some menu ideas for three age groups. For extremely active kids, provide more food, but not in the form of sugary, salty snacks, sodas or sports beverages. Instead, choose extra items that will help meet the day's food-group needs: another piece of fruit, a second sandwich.

You'll want to invest in an insulated lunchbox or bag and a freezer pack so food will stay cool till lunchtime. Vegetarians, vegans and others who follow special diets should tool around on MyPyramid to find options that meet their nutritional needs.

Ages 14-18A sedentary teenage girl should have 1,800 calories per day and an active one up to 2,400. For teen boys, that range is 2,200 to 3,200. Lunch should account for roughly a third of those calories, Giancoli says.Sample lunch: Teens might enjoy something more sophisticated than a sandwich. Try a dozen whole-wheat Triscuits with four one-inch cubes of low-fat cheddar or Swiss cheese, three-quarters cup of chicken vegetable soup, a cup of cantaloupe balls, a serving (about a third of a cup) of egg salad made with a hard-boiled egg and a tablespoon of regular mayonnaise, and a cup of reduced-sodium V-8 juice. That covers the food groups for about 690 calories.Cafeteria advice: If a salad bar or taco bar is available, it's easy to make a meal that contains vegetables (go for a rainbow of colors), fruit, meat or beans, dairy (but go easy on the cheese) and whole grains (a corn taco). Vegetarian options often are the most healthful choices.Ages 9-13A sedentary preteen girl needs 1,600 calories a day, while an active girl needs up to 2,200. A boy's range is 1,800 to 2,600. Divide by three! Sample lunch: A sandwich made with two pieces of whole-grain bread, two slices of deli turkey, a dab of mayonnaise and a slice of cheese. Add an apple and a cup of baby carrots, plus one or two tablespoons of reduced-fat dressing and some reduced-fat milk (or calcium-fortified soy or almond milk). That's about 630 calories. Cafeteria advice: It's easy to get carried away with a la carte options. Rather than saying your child can't have something, talk about menus and steer him or her toward healthy options.Ages 4-8 A sedentary little girl needs just 1,000 calories a day; an active one needs up to 1,800. For boys, it's 1,400 to 2,000. That makes for some tiny lunches.Sample lunch: The classic peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich is a great choice if you use two slices of whole-grain bread, two tablespoons of peanut butter and a tablespoon of reduced-sugar jelly. Pair it with a half-cup of pineapple chunks, a half-cup of celery sticks and a cup of reduced-fat milk. That's about 525 calories.Cafeteria advice: The daily special, often macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets, isn't always the best choice. Encourage your child to go for the everyday option, which typically features simple items such as a PBJ, a cheese stick, fresh fruit or fruit cups, vegetables and milk. These are just examples; you'll want to mix things up so your kids don't get bored. And once in a while, says Jatinder Bhatia, who chairs the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition, let your kids splurge on a treat that doesn't fit neatly into one of the slots."We are human beings," Bhatia says. "We need variety."