Washington Post staff writer and Lean Plate Club columnist Sally Squires was online Wednesday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss healthy school lunches and child nutrition.

A transcript follows.

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Sally Squires: Welcome everyone! Back-to-school is around the corner. In fact some kids in Montgomery County are already having orientation. College kids are moving into the dorms...

So besides those books, backpacks, calculators and Ipods, students are going to have to be well nourished to do their best in school. Today we're going to talk about what to eat for breakfast and what to pack for lunch and after-school snacks. And no, this is not Tuesday where you'd normally find me hosting the Lean Plate Club web chat. This is Wednesday and a special web chat devoted to back to school food.

Let's get on with the chat!

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Washington, D.C.: Sally, I'm the one that's going back to school -- in the evenings, three nights a week. What healthy offerings can I pack that will sustain me through that time? Thanks.

Sally Squires: Good for you for going heading back into the classroom, DC. Evening classes can be quite challenging because you certainly don't want to put in all that effort in improving your knowledge, only to be dragging from hunger. And you also don't want to sustain yourself on junk food either, right?

So you get an "A" for already thinking ahead.

Depending on what you have available in terms of refrigeration and cooking, there are several good options.

If you've got a microwave and a freezer available for late afternoon before you head to class, you're ahead of the curve. Stock up on some frozen dinners. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers, South Beach, Kashi and Amy's all have frozen dinners that are not high in calories and for the most part are reasonable in taste. Will they win four stars? No of course not, but they will certainly sustain you and won't send you off the charts, calorically speaking. (Most are, however, rather high in sodium. So if that's a concern, you may have to go to another option.)

If you don't have access to a refrigerator or microwave you could stop by a grocery on your way to class. The salad bars these days at most groceries have a lot of options, including soup. The choices are generally healthier than what you'll find at most fast food restaurants, and could be cheaper depending on what you buy.

Speaking of those fast food places, check out the salads. They're quite good.

You might also invest in a good lunch back. There are wide number available. Lands End and LL Bean have some pretty nifty lunch packs. A good thermos could also help you keep food particularly if you have a place to store it during the day. If not, then you might dry some of the soups that are made by Progresso, Campbell's and other companies. They're microwaveable. Don't require a can opener. Soup at Hand can even be sipped in the car on the way to class.

You could add some whole grain crackers and low fat or non fat cheese. Don't forget fruit--an apple for you AND that teacher of yours, never hurts and doesn't require refrigeration. In fact, fruit and cut up veggies would be great to have on hand.

Those are just a few options. Also look for peanut butter and jelly containers now available. And for new snack packs from Dr. Krackle with some whole grain crackers that are quite good.

Hope that helps. Other suggestions out there? Send them our way. Happy studying...

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Rockville, Md.: My son is 3 1/2 and takes his son to preschool. Can you give me some advice on what to pack? Also, I pack him fruits because he loves those, but save the veggies for dinner, since he needs a pep talk from us before touching those. Is that okay?

Sally Squires: That's all perfectly fine, Rockville. You might like some of the individual applesauce and nonfat pudding containers. The applesauce comes in berry flavors too and doesn't have added sugar. The pudding obviously does, but it also has some calcium. The main thing is not to overload your son with food. So some of the small snack packs of whole grain crackers would be fine. So would have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole grain bread. No refrigeration required. And there's a new whole grain graham cracker from Dr. Krackle that I thought was pretty tasty.

Other options: small containers of yogurt. You might also make your son his own trail mix with soy nuts, raisins, seeds and other things he enjoys. In fact, you could make it together!

Other suggestions out there?

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New York, N.Y.: You may have already answered this 100 times, but what are your thoughts on the South Beach Diet?

Sally Squires: I'm always happy to revisit popular topics and South Beach is certainly one of them. In fact, I did a column looking at South Beach for the Lean Plate Club. We're trying to find a link to it and if so, will post in this chat.

The pluses of South Beach: it emphasizes healthy fat, unlike Atkins which allowed a lot of saturated fat. If you stick to the letter, SB provides about 1,400 calories per day--which will help most people shed about a pound per week.

SB makes some foods off limits--pineapple is one--because of their glycemic index. That's how much they make your blood sugar rise after eating them. Evidence suggests that making food off limits doesn't work long term. So here's what I'd ask you: if you need a structured program to get you going, then by all means try South Beach. But remember that it is a diet. And diets imply that you go on them and then off them. If you don't change your eating habits and increase your activity, then you can lose weight in any fashion short-term, but that weight will return once you resume the habits that caused you to gain weight in the first place.

So ask yourself: is the South Beach program something that you can live with for the rest of your life?

Hope that helps.

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Maryland: Elementary school menus usually give tips about importance of vegetarian food. But it lacks from menu. Does that mean to encourage lunches from home?

Sally Squires: I'm not sure that you can draw that conclusion. Do know, however, that the majority of nutritional advice these days encourages a mostly plant based diet. The majority of us are still falling very short on fruit and vegetables, beans and whole grains. In doing that, we're missing a huge opportunity to eat really flavorful food that is rich in all kinds of healthy nutrients, fiber and more. Plus, it's generally not very high in calories, unless, of course, you deep fat fry those veggies or add lots of sugar to that fruit.

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washingtonpost.com: Low-Carb Diets Take a Punch ( Post, July 6, 2004 )

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Regarding South Beach Diet:: I've been eating healthy and exercising a lot and I've tried to do a lifestyle change rather than a diet. I think one of the best things is to use some of the diet companies' frozen meals and incoporate them into healthy eating. This morning I had the South Beach western omlette burrito wrap which is only 150 calories. It was my first time having it and it was actually delicious. Much better than a bowl of cereal and with the same caloric intake.

Sally Squires: There you go. That's a great way to "make it your way" to borrow another company's famous advertising phrase. Thanks.

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Maryland: If plant based diet is good then why not school menu's follow that? I wish school menus had healthy choices.

Sally Squires: Let your school officials, school board and elected officials know your wishes. Also, there's been a pilot program that Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) developed to provide free fruit and vegetables to schools for snacks. It's proven quite popular and successful. There's also a registered dietitian named Tracy Fox who has been leading the charge to get better food in the Montgomery County schools. I don't know where you live in Maryland, but you might try to contact her. If you'd like the name of her organization which escapes me right now, feel free to email me after the chat at leanplateclub@washpost.com.

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Re: South Beach: I just have to say -- and I know this might not be typical -- but I tried South Beach for about a month, lost 15 pounds, and have since very slowly reverted to eating anything I want, and I've kept the weight off. I lost the weight almost all around my middle (yay!), and followed the diet pretty strictly for a month (two weeks of no carbs/sugars, then slowly adding back in complex carbs). Then I've slowly started adding back in all my normal foods (pizza and fried stuff!), and it's been about five months and I haven't gained back any weight. Don't know what that means, but I'm happy!

Sally Squires: Sounds like this worked well for you. Those 15 pounds are quite impressive. But just let me add that while you lost them around your middle, no diet can promise to produce spot reduction. In fact, as Dr. Arthur Frank, a weight loss expert at George Washington University likes to say, if you want to lose weight from a certain part of your body, pull the tape measure tighter!

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Baltimore, Md.: Hi Sally,

My 8-year-old son loves having English muffin pizza as an after-school snack. I use low-fat mozzarella cheese and a pizza sauce that is low in sodium. He even likes those new whole wheat English muffins they have now. Yum!

Sally Squires: That's a wonderful choice of snacks. And as he gets older--maybe he's even doing it now--he can make this snack himself. Not only are you giving him the gift of good nutrition, but you're giving him a gift of being in control of his own healthy food. That's quite a gift! Thanks for weighing in.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: Hi Sally -- My kids like white bread, but not the taste of whole wheat or the texture of multigrain. How much am I really impacting their nutrition if I use the white? I keep getting the "bad mom" looks from other parents. My kids generally get fruit, yogurt, crackers and a piece of cheese in their lunches as well. Thanks.

Sally Squires: Ignore those other parents because you can give your kids white bread and whole grain: just choose the new whole wheat white bread that is made by both Sara Lee and yes, Wonder Bread. You can even make your own white whole grain bread with King Arthur wheat white flour. So here's a way to let your kids have their white bread and eat it too. (Sorry, but I couldn't resist.)

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Bethesda, Md.: My daughter will be attending Pre-K in September and this will be the first time I have to pack lunch. Can you give me suggestions on a nutritious yet appetizing lunch for her? She is picky (doesn't like PB & J, Mac and Cheese, etc.)

Sally Squires: Oh, these picky eaters challenge us don't they? Will she eat turkey? Could you make her a small wrap with a whole grain tortilla, turkey and lettuce? That's one thought.

Will she eat hummus? That's quite nutritious and you could put it in pita bread. Or give her the hummus in a small container with small pita bread loaves to dip into it. Then add some fruit (that she likes) Or a fruit cup. (By the way, these shelf stable fruit cups packed in juice are good for adult student too!) Ditto for some pudding or applesauce for dessert.

Will she eat any cheese at all? If so, you might give her cubes of cheese and whole grain crackers. If peanut butter is out, you might try other nut butters including almond butter, sun butter (made from sunflower seeds) or Nutella (made from hazelnuts and chocolate.)

How about yogurt? Or kefir? Both would be rich in calcium and protein. The little packages of plain Total yogurt with a side of honey or fruit could be quite appealing to a preschooler, but of course, she needs to like the taste.

Hope that helps...

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South Riding, Va.: Any ideas for creative kid-pleasing healthy lunches? Most of the time when I send in carrots and apples in my four- and six-year-olds lunches they return uneaten.

Sally Squires: Don't you hate that? You go to the trouble of trying to provide the right stuff and it just comes back. Yep, been there too and done that.

So get your kids involved in packing that lunch. You might try sending in a little Ranch dressing with those carrots. Sometimes dipping helps. As for the apples, how about a small container of peanut butter and jelly? (You can now buy these prepackaged.) Or you might try a little cinnamon on those apples. Barring that, find other fruit and veggies that your kids will eat. Applesauce and fruit cups are good choices. Dried fruit and veggies are just fine too. Don't forget salsa and chips. Guacamole. Even pumpkin pie (a small slice or put the pumpkin filling in a small container.) They're all veggies too. So are bean dips. Your kids don't have to know.

And in this next posting, you'll see some additional tips from another parent...

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Silver Spring, Md.: Re: ideas for packing a preschoolers' lunch.

I routinely use small Ziploc bags with healthy sandwiches, whatever fresh fruit is in season and a small amount of veggies. They could be left over from the night before. I don't worry about whether they eat them or not. Some days, they eat the veggies, other days they don't. My kids like frozen peas or dried peas for the crunch (available at Whole Foods).

My preschoolers also help me choose the foods for their lunches. There are plenty of whole grain crackers out there, including some shaped like animals. Sandwiches tend to be: peanut butter (or soy butter) and honey, grilled cheese (sometimes with a little spinach mixed in), salmon salad with "crunchies" -- thinly chopped celery and carrot, smoked salmon and cream cheese. I make all of them on light whole wheat bread. Another new winner: small, whole wheat tortillas quesadillas -- can mix cheese and anything in there and then slice them into small triangles.

I also make homemade mac and cheese and mix in a baby food jar of sweet potato or butternut squash and pack them some leftovers at lunch during the week. The kids have no idea the veggies are in there and it always gets gobbled up.

Sally Squires: Great suggestions! Thanks much.

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Maryland: My son (8 years) just takes a glass of milk as breakfast (nothing else). He eats well at other times (lunch/snacks/dinner). He is a happy eater. Is it okay to have just milk for breakfast? He has been doing it since he was four years old and started preschool.

Sally Squires: That's fine. It's wonderful that he's drinking that milk. You might pack a couple of cereal bars in his back pack or have him stick them in his pocket for later. A single serving of trail mix would be another option when his stomach wakes up around mid-morning. Kashi makes a couple of good cereal bars that aren't high in sugar. Nature Valley does too.

We're out of time. Come into the regularly scheduled Lean Plate Club web chat on Tuesday at 1 p.m. if you want to talk more about back to school food and plenty of other nutrition and exercise topics. Thanks to all!

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