(WTVO) — As kids head back to school, it is important to make sure that they have enough to eat during the day, but balancing those meals with healthy options they like can be tricky.

It is recommended to plan ahead and pack a lunch if the student does not like what the cafeteria is offering. Parents should try to add some fruits and vegetables, as well as not go overboard on the grains.

It is okay to pack some extra snacks to go along with the cafeteria lunch to make sure those needs are being met.

“If it’s chicken patty sandwich with green beans and a fruit and milk, and the kids like the sandwich and they like the fruit, but maybe don’t like green beans, send them with some carrots,” said Shelby Miller, pediatric dietician at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. “You can kind of fill that whole with something else.”

High schoolers can tend to skip lunch altogether. Checking with them and making sure they are getting enough nutrients so it is not affecting their ability