You want to pack a healthy, appealing lunch for your kids every day. Problem is, it’s easy to fall into a lunch rut. Who hasn’t eaten the same turkey sandwich every day for a week?
Experts say planning ahead and getting your kids involved in the process can go a long way in preparing a healthy, balanced – and enticing – school lunch.
Here are six tips and nine recipes designed to help pack a colorful, creative, healthy and yummy lunch for your child. The following tips were provided by Keith Kantor, a Norcross, Ga., nutritionist, and experts with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Strong4Life:
- Keep balance in mind. When you are packing lunch, make sure to include protein, vegetables, fruits and healthy fats. Limit processed grains and empty calories like cookies, crackers and juice. If your child likes dessert, Kantor suggests something small like a square of dark chocolate.
Processed foods and sugary treats will leave your child with a spike in blood sugars, providing a quick burst of energy followed by a drop in blood sugars, making them want to sleep in class.
- Make their lunch appealing. Pack lunches in bento boxes or compartmentalize with cupcake silicone reusable “cups.” These work great for children who love to eat finger foods like grapes, carrot sticks, cheese squares, trail mix, hummus or a sandwich. This is like a mini-appetizer plate or a protein box that is sold at coffee shops. (It can also work well for older teens and even adults at work, in the car or at their desk).
- Get kids involved in the planning process. Let kids decide between several healthy options. Parents can ask questions like “Would you like to have oranges, grapes or bananas in your lunch this week?” and “Which flavors of yogurt would you like?” This lets kids feel like they have a say in what goes into their lunches, and you get to curate what those options are.
- Rethink the drink. Healthy beverages. Although juice boxes are very popular, fruit juice can contain as much sugar as regular soda. Water is the best beverage choice.
- Make sure you keep the lunch at a safe temperature. This step is often overlooked. Always pack the lunch in an insulated lunch bag or box with one or two ice packs depending on how big the lunch is. Sometimes kids have four or more hours before lunchtime, and they store their lunch in a locker that is outside in the heat.
CHOA suggests freezing a clean, wet sponge in a sealable plastic bag to use as an inexpensive ice pack. Another idea: Freeze a plastic water bottle (pour a little out first because it’ll expand) to keep lunch cool and give your child an ice-cold drink.