6 Tips for Packing a Better School Lunch

The school season is almost upon us, and you know what that means mommas–thinking of what to make the kids for their baon again! I’ll be honest and say that the easiest thing to do is to pop last night’s leftovers in the microwave, and stuff it in their lunch boxes. (Even though sometimes it results in not being touched at all.) Then there are days when you’re feeling lazy, and just give them money to buy whatever they want in school. (Last time I checked, ice cream isn’t lunch!) And even though I’m sure you have days when you pack excellent lunches that your kids love, I’m listing down six tips to make your kids’ lunches even better!

Baby and Breakfast: Parenting 6 Tips for Packing a Better School Lunch

 

1 Get healthy

I’ll be real and just say it: It’s so hard to get kids to eat healthy. One, it requires extra thinking on your end, and two, most of the snacks that are available in the supermarket well, aren’t healthy. So how do you go about it? The key word is balance. Make sure your kids get everything they need to get in their lunch. This includes starch and carbs, fruits and veggies, dairy, and protein. You don’t have to over think it and make your kids a quinoa salad! Just balancing out all the food they need will make a big difference.

 

2 Be creative

While you can go the extra mile by making food characters and decorating your kids’ food, even something as simple as adding a pop of color or different textures, can actually go a long way in making food look appetizing.

 

3 Offer variety

Even adults can get tired of the same food! Switch up your menu once in a while. Instead of rice, try bread (wheat bread if you’re trying to go healthy) or pitas and tortilla wraps.

 

4 Pack easy-to-eat food

Try to steer clear of the really messy foods like corn on the cob, unpeeled shrimp, and even mangoes. Or if your kids just so happen to love all of these foods, do the dirty work for them. Remove the corn from the cob, peel the shrimp, and cut up the mangoes. You can also cut up their other food into manageable bite-sized pieces. Trust me, it’ll be easier for them to eat, and they’ll make less of a mess on their shirts too!

 

5 Involve your kids

The easiest way to make sure your kids eat their lunch is to make them choose their lunch–with limitations, of course. You can sit down and ask them what they want to eat, you can go to the grocery together, and have them pick out their favorite snacks, or you can even have them help you cook lunch too!

 

6 Don't forget the non-food essentials

Sometimes, you focus so much on packing the actual food that you might just forget to pack the non-food essentials too. (This happened to me, BTW.) But a lunch box won’t be complete without a water bottle or jug, utensils, and (don’t forget this one!) some napkins, tissue, or even a towel.

 

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