Do your kids eat healthful foods at school? Too often, students bypass a well-balanced lunch for soda and chips from a vending machine, or choose school-provided hot lunches high in fat, sugar, sodium or other bad substances.

Parents can take charge of their child's nutrition by packing a lunch, at least a few days each week.

To build a nutritious lunch, experts urge you to simply remember "ABC." Foods rich in vitamins A, B and C should be part of every meal. The "C" in ABC also stands for calcium, another important nutrient.

Foods rich in these nutrients also tend to contain healthy amounts of other important substances, such as vitamin D, iron, protein and carbohydrates.

Certain foods are especially good sources of these nutrients. They include:

• Vitamin A. Deep yellow and deep orange fruits and vegetables. These include carrots, apricots and cantaloupes.
  
  
• Vitamin B. Whole grains, meat, nuts and seeds.
  
  
• Vitamin C. Citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, kiwi, tomatoes, broccoli and bell peppers.
  
  
• Calcium. Low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt. As a bonus, foods rich in calcium also tend to provide protein and vitamin D to the diet.

Generally, it is better to prepare and bake your own foods rather than rely on prepackaged lunches, which tend to be less nutritious and more expensive.

Getting your child involved