With the back-to-school season rapidly approaching, your attention shifts from summer fun to supplies and school lunch plans. If you are like most parents, you probably find yourself wondering what to pack for kids lunch periods that your child might actually eat. School lunches are a challenge sometimes, so having a plan can help. Here are some tips to help you build your child’s school lunch boxes with ease.
When you start thinking about your child’s lunch boxes, your first priority should be balance. Balance means including servings of:
You don’t have to be rigid about it, but aiming for balance on most days is ideal and helps power them through the day.
Kids eat with their eyes long before they touch their lunch with their hands. Make your child’s lunchbox look inviting with all of the colors of the rainbow in your food choices. Colorful, fresh, and highly visible foods are the ones that kids are more likely to eat. In addition, make sure you know what your child will and will not eat in school. Sometimes old favorites are too messy or too difficult to eat at school and are best left for meals at home.
Remember that kids have a limited time for lunch, so you want to be sure that they can eat as much as possible in that time. That means packing a lunch that’s easy to access and easy to eat. Reduce packaging, especially for little fingers. Put things into small food storage containers or sandwich bags that are easy to open like stashers, or leave things out and immediately accessible if you have a Bento-style box for your child. Our favorite is the Bentgo Box and currently has a $5 off coupon!
In some schools, children are limited in what they can bring back into the classroom. Juice boxes, pouches, and soda bottles are often prohibited. However, you may find that reusable, insulated drink bottles are not only permitted but far easier for your child to drink out of. Put a tube-shaped ice cube down the center of the bottle before filling it with water to ensure that your child has water for hours. You can often find great deals online to get these bottles affordably. One of our favorites is the Simple Modern Kids Cup which comes in a ton of cute prints!
One thing that many parents don’t think about is the potential for allergy restrictions in school. After school has started isn’t the time to introduce your child to something new as a substitute for their favorite food. For example, if there are peanut allergies in your child’s class, consider introducing an alternative to nut butter over the summer so that it’s familiar before the school year starts.
Don’t let yourself be paralyzed by school lunch decisions. When it comes to what to pack for kids lunch boxes, it’s easier than you think. Check out other back-to-school preparation tips at Simply Sales with Alyssa and Sarah.
We also included a few more resources for lunch ideas! Check them out and let us know what you think.
https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/easy-school-lunche
https://www.whatlisacooks.com/school-lunch/tips-for-easy-school-lunch-packing
https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/eat-right-at-school/packing-a-safe-lunch-for-school
https://www.stlukeshealth.org/resources/guide-to-packing-the-perfect-school-lunch