As students get back to class in central Illinois, a University of Illinois nutrition educator is hoping you'll make time to consider the items you're packing for your youngster if they are taking their lunch with them.

On the WHOW Morning Show Wednesday, Caitlin Mellendorf, Nutrition Educator at the University of Illinois Extension in DeWitt, Macon and Piatt Counties, told the Hart Media Group there are several things to consider when packing a child's lunch, but one of the main things is to consider the ease with which they will be able to consume those foods.

Mellendorf encourages parents and guardians to consider what their kids would enjoy having in their lunches to make sure everything gets eaten, and they are getting enough to eat.

According to Mellendorf, items of convenience are always great options, but she encourages exploring those items that offer more nutrition than just the salty and sugary quick snacks.

We'll have more with Mellendorf about the evolution of school lunches and how schools now serve meals that meet certain government guidelines in the days ahead at the Hart Media Group.