It's the struggle of the ages: how to get kids to eat everything you pack for lunch. For most parents, it feels like a constant battle. But it doesn't have to be that way! I started packing my kids' lunches after I figured out that buying school food was not the best idea for us. The kids weren't eating everything we were spending money on, and not only were they hungry after lunch, many days they would spend more money on junk snacks because they still wanted to munch. Not to mention all the perfectly good cafeteria food they were throwing out. It gnawed at me. So I figured out a few methods for making sure my kids eat what I pack them — and I know they'll work for yours, too!
Let them help with planning
At the beginning of the week, figure out a menu for the next five days. The key is to let the kids in on the planning. For us, that means I literally write down the lunch plan for the week, and then Sebas and Sofi will sit down with me to go over it. I try to give them some options: Carrot sticks or cherries? Tortillas or whole wheat bread? These are all easy items I have on hand and can swap out or use later in the week or the week after, but it gives them a sense of control over what they'll be eating that week without too many surprises.
Keep servings small
I'm from a Latino background; our servings tend to be huge! It was hard for me to accept that my kids could get full with way less food than what I thought they should be eating. Plus, when the lunch was so big, for some reason my kids — especially my son — would feel like it was way too much for the time that his lunchtime lasted, and he would just give up before even starting. Of course, he wanted to go outside to play as soon as he finished, so the pressure was double! Once I realized I was overdoing it, I started packing appropriate-size lunches, with a variety of small-portion food items that he could manage: a main food (sandwich, mac and cheese, roll-ups, etc.), a fruit or veggie side, a drink, and a little extra if possible.
Don't pack anything new that they don't know
Lunchtime at school is not the time to be testing their adventurous eating habits. I packed guacamole for my daughter one time, to go with her favorite tortilla chips, and it was an epic fail. Not only was she grossed out that it had browned a bit by the time she got to school, she left it all, and I got a big dose of whine when she came home. A better idea? Try out new foods on the weekends, see what they like, propose to pack it for lunch that week, and see what they think. It's better to be able to control the introduction of food than to surprise them when they're in an environment that doesn't allow for extra time to understand what they're eating and savor anything new.
Make it fun
There are many ways to reimagine how you pack your kids' lunches! You could cut up sandwiches into cute shapes with cookie cutters.
I cut just their cheese and put it on top of the bread for them to put inside or eat separately. It's much easier to cut just one part of your sandwich — plus, you can get them involved, which makes it even more likely they'll eat it all up.
Even simpler than that? Cut things up into small, finger-size pieces when possible: A sandwich is more approachable when cut into four triangle pieces. Wraps can be cut into slices. Other times, I split burger patties into four pieces and put toothpicks on them with a small piece of cheese, like tiny lunch hors d'oeuvres. And sometimes, a fun, loving note does the trick. I put a foam heart sticker with a short note in Sofi's lunch box, and she was over the moon. For Sebas, I threw in a Fortnite tattoo on a sticky note telling him I loved him. Those little gestures of love, whether with their food or simple trinkets, get them excited about lunchtime.
Pack treats — that are good for them!
Packing fruit or healthy snacks is essential, but sometimes my kiddos expected candy or other treats that are not nutritious and would fill them up with empty calories. Since we discovered Sun-Maid Fruity Raisin Snacks, it's been a true game changer. These snacks are delish golden raisins with natural fruit flavoring to make them taste like sweet or sour candy. My kids absolutely LOVE the sour ones! And I feel zero guilt packing them a pouch (or two!) to have as a treat during lunchtime at school. The best part? These yummy treats are actual whole fruit, not those tooth-decaying gummies posing as fruit. They're non-GMO and have no added sugar — and I know my kids don't care about those details, but for me, it's key (and it's why I love these Sun-Maid Fruity Raisin Snacks so much). I literally have to hide the boxes from them and from the hubby — so be sure to stock up, because these snacks go fast!
