Making healthy lunches, or sending your kid off in the morning with a pb& j sandwich and a handful of prepackaged sugary treats?
Making something your child not only likes but looks forward to eating for lunch, has got to be one of the biggest struggles we as parents face when it comes to feeding our family healthier meals.
In today’s post I’ll be sharing 4 tips I’ve used to get my kids to eat their healthy lunches, without spending too much time and effort.
Making Healthy Lunches By Using Different Food Containers
My first tip for Making Healthy Lunches your kids will love is by changing up the food container. By “switching” things up, it seemed to keep lunch interesting for them.
I spent so much money on those somewhat disposable plastic snap lid containers that I should have invested in their company.
Most Lunch Containers ended up not returning home or going MIA.
However, of those that did return, they were usually bent, broken or stained!
I was just about to give in and revert back to those cheap sandwich baggies that didn’t even have the zipper, just that flap and brown paper bags until I found my solution!
Bento boxes…where have you been all my lunch making life!
These bento lunch boxes just seem to be designed for Making Healthy Lunches as they have lots of different compartments that let you put portion-size items together.
Instead of making a wrap and putting it in a typical lunch box, you can have a deconstructed wrap that your child can put together on their own.
Essentially making your own Lunch Mate©. These Bento boxes also work great when you want them to have different types of items together, such as nuts, fruit, veggies with dip, lean meat, and any other options they like.
Making Healthy Lunches With PB&J Sandwiches
Just because your kid lives for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches doesn’t mean they can’t have it for a healthy lunch. There are plenty of ways to make them healthier.
I’d start by switching up that white bread with some whole wheat or whole grain bread. In the past I’ve also used wraps that I cut up to resemble tortilla chips.
Now, as for the jam or jelly…well you could choose a low-sugar version instead of regular. Just be on the lookout for hidden sugars…make sure to read the ingredients label!
For the peanut butter, I’d try and find a low-salt or natural version. I know they have some in the health food isle at my local grocery store. However, to be completely honest…I used to just make my own in my food processor. It’s super easy to do…as long as you’ve got a food processor!
Leftovers Could Be Your Answer To Making Healthy Lunches
You know, even though a “traditional” school lunch usually has things like sandwiches, fruit rollups, and even pudding in them, parents can make healthy lunches that don’t take very long by simply taking some of the leftovers from last night’s supper and put them together in your Bento box or regular lunch box.
Many kids enjoy their dinners so much that they are more than willing to have some of the same items for lunch. Now I’m not suggesting you wrap the plate up and send it to school as is. No, You’re going to fancy it up a bit.
Let’s run through an example of what I’m talking about. Let’s say you had made steak the night before for supper. When you’re making healthy lunches you could simply slice the leftover steak into thin strips and include it in their lunch box with whole-wheat tortillas and veggies. This way they’re able to make their very own fajitas for lunch.
Get Your Kids Involved With Making Healthy Lunches
If you’re one of the smart parents out there who get their kids to help out with making super during the week, then it’s a small step to also get them to help with making healthy lunches.
Your kids will probably give you more ideas then you have days in the week to prepare lunch for and most kids would love to help put their lunch boxes together. By letting them choose different healthy components for their meals it’ll not only simplify the entire process, but it’ll also begin to teach them about meal preparation and food safety.
By having your kids be a part of making healthy lunches and doing it together, you’ll also know the kinds of things that they’ll enjoy in their lunch.
In theory having your children in the kitchen helping you make healthy lunches, teaches them basic math concepts, like measurement and ratios, as well as building their self confidence by allowing them the opportunity to problem solve and create something from beginning end.
While at first it may seem like having your kids helping out with making healthy lunches is a huge PITA…however, with a bit of planning, some simple prep work , some patience and proper communication, the time spent making healthy lunches together will foster a better relationship with your kid that’ll be an activity you’ll both enjoy and learn from for years to come.