Packing a school lunch is no easy task. The food needs to be healthy, but tasty. It needs to look appealing after sitting in a box for 16+ hours (because ideally, you packed it the night before).
On top of that, your child may have food allergies, be a picky eater, or attend a school that is nut-free and sugar-free. After all these restrictions, what’s left to put in your child’s lunchbox? Here are some easy lunch ideas for kids, from both real moms and health experts.
Stock up on healthy options and safe food storage containers
How to get kids to eat healthy
Now that you’ve packed the perfect, healthy lunch — how do you get your kids to eat it?
It might help to have your child involved in the process. “This strategy gives parents a great opportunity to discuss the benefits of different meal options and why certain foods may be healthier and make them feel better than others,” pediatric dietitian Jennifer Hyland, RD, told the Cleveland Clinic. “Plus, involving the child in any decision-making process typically leads to better outcomes and acceptance — and the meal-planning process is no exception.”
Some other tips for getting kids to eat healthy:
1. Sneak in vegetables whenever you can
Add finely shredded carrots and zucchini to meatballs and chicken noodle soup, stick broccoli in mac ‘n’ cheese, add spinach to smoothies. “I add a veggie concentrate to my banana bread,” Yao shared with mom.com, “so the bread itself has lots of nutrients.”
2. Pick healthy snacks
“Strawberries with a dollop of whipped cream, cucumbers with a bit of oil & vinegar for dipping. Parfaits with plain yogurt, a bit of honey, berries, granola — layered for fun,” mom of three Marisa L. Russell previously told Mom.com. Kaiser Permanente suggests kid favorites like string cheese, air popped popcorn and baby carrots.
3. Know how to read nutrition labels
First, check the ingredient list — stay away from anything that contains high fructose corn syrup or lists sugar as one of the first three ingredients. (Sugar has many names; look it up and get familiar with them!) On the nutrition facts label, look at added sugars, saturated/trans fats, and sodium.
4. Teach kids the “why” and have them take ownership in building their meals
For the child who constantly demands to know why he has to eat his greens or why she has to drink her milk, try explaining the health benefits of each food group, which foods to eat, how much, and more. MyPlate.gov simplifies the process with an interactive quiz.
And mom Debbie Koenig previously shared this genius idea with Mom.com: Let your child select items from each food group, then have him pack his own lunch!
Happy lunch-making!
