School Lunches
It's the time of year when parents start to wonder what to put in their
kids school lunches.
Every parent wants to find
healthy ideas for the kids and provide variety at the same time. But
most importantly they don't want their child to go hungry because they
don't like the contents of their lunch box.
Here are some of our tips and ideas for how to get your kids involved
in packing their lunches, providing variety, what to pack for school
lunch and more help with healthy lunches and kids lunch ideas.
- How to get your child involved...
Have them help pick out what is in their lunch, after all they will be
the ones eating it! Give them choices and they will be happier and will
feel like they have more responsibilities. Have 3 categories fruit,
vegetable, snack type items (you choose the main course) they can
choose something from each category and stick each item in their lunch
bag. Also while making your grocery list each week go over with your
kids lunch options in those 3 categories what they'd like to “order”
for that week.
- What to pack. Small portions with variety
works well. A fruit or fruit slices, a vegetable or sliced vegetables,
main course, drink (water or 100% juice) and, if desired, a snack type
item.
- Need ideas for main course items besides
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. See our Lunch
ideas beyond the sandwich
page. There are lots of great healthy lunch ideas to incorporate in
your brown bag lunches.
- For healthy snack ideas try nuts, cheese
cubes, or yogurt. Biscuit sticks, soft pretzels, hard boiled eggs,
jerky, granola, trail mix and cereal mixes are also good choices.
- Planning is key. Make things and freeze
with lunches in mind. See our freezer
meal page
for ideas and recipes.
- Try quick breads or muffins with fruits
and vegetables in them such as banana, zucchini, pumpkin, carrot,
raisin or apple. All these are good healthy snack ideas.
- Include a small ice pack to keep things
cool. You can find these in decorative sizes and shapes now. Or freeze
water bottles or juice boxes and add to school lunches. They will
unthaw by lunch and keep things cool.
- Buy a kid size
thermos. You can easily send cold or warm things in your
kids lunches. To warm a thermos, fill it with boiling water and seal
the lid tight. Allow to sit 10 minutes. When ready to use pour out
water and add the food. To cool the thermos fill with ice
cubes and seal tight. Let sit overnight. The next morning pour out
water and fill. Close tightly. Make sure your child can open and close
it!
- Make sure if you are packing things in a rubbermaid or
tupperware container that it is sealed properly and
your child can open it and close it back up tightly. (In case they
don't finish it all.)
- Give them a variety of things to choose
from. Don't be afraid to give them something new sometimes. They might
just be brave enough to try it when they are around their friends at
school.
- The night before, after cleaning up from dinner, is the best
time for packing school lunches. Put what items
need to be chilled in the fridge and what items that don't, ready to go
in the lunch box. Better yet get your kids involved with making their
lunches by having them do this step. This will save you some time in
the morning.
- Don't worry if your kids want a peanut
butter sandwich everyday! Let them have it. Just include other items in
their lunch to choose from as well.
- Visit kids lunch ideas for more help in planning school lunches.
Do you have any school
lunch tips?
Submit your favorite kids recipe
Do you have a favorite recipe your kids love to make? Or a recipe your kids ask you to make again and again? Share it with us!
More
School Lunches ideas beyond the sandwich...
|
