Packed Lunch Ideas for Kids
How to Make a Healthy Lunchbox Exciting Day After Day
A lot of kids take a packed lunch to school either because they won't eat school dinners or because they and their parents prefer it. The idea of this may sound great to begin with. Parents can monitor what their children eat and kids can take in food that they know they like.
But, producing a healthy lunchbox every single school day soon gets hard. Kids get bored eating the same old food. Soon they'll undoubtedly come home with tales of how exciting everyone else's packed lunch is compared to their own. They'll also probably start the pester power trick of stating categorically that everyone else eats unhealthy food so they want to too. So, what can parents do to make things more exciting but keep things healthy?
Packed Lunch Ideas
Variety really is the spice of life here. After all, no parent would want to eat the same couple of packed lunches day in and day out for an entire school term but this is often what they inflict on their kids. Plus, many kids themselves will get stuck in a rut where they demand the same sandwich every day which doesn't necessarily mean that they're getting the best variety in their diets. Some solutions to mix things up a little could include:
- Find some sandwich fillings that they already like and try variations to give them some alternatives. A child that will only eat ham sandwiches may be tempted with a ham wrap or bagel to make things look a little more interesting.
- It may seem like an impossible task but kids can be encouraged to eat salads. Most, for example, will happily eat a simple vegetable salad made from the basics such as cucumber, peppers and tomatoes. Pasta and rice salads may also be worth trying.
- There's no reason why lunchbox ideas shouldn't include warm food. Investing in a pasta/soup thermos flask could see a child tucking into a hot meal that he knows he likes.
- Many kids like finger food even when they technically should have outgrown it. A pot of home-made humus, some carrot, cucumber and pepper sticks and some slices of pitta bread could be a good alternative to a sandwich
- Children having school dinners will be offered some form of calcium rich food and this should be a component of a healthy lunchbox. Try out cheese, yogurt drinks, yogurts and fromage fraise or homemade milkshakes (this could also get a sneaky portion of fruit into their packed lunch!).
- Don't be tempted to make puddings unhealthy. Most schools discourage children from taking in chocolates and sweets in a packed lunch in any case. Try baking homemade biscuits or muffins and make small pots of fruit salad or dried fruit.
- Try and make things quick to eat and exciting. Sticking an apple in a lunchbox may seem the right thing to do but many kids will find this boring and time-consuming to eat. Turning it into a quick fruit salad with a few grapes and a little apple juice will make it easier to eat and more appealing.
Many kids that have school dinners love Fridays because they get chips for lunch as a treat. Parents putting together a packed lunch could make Friday exciting too for their child by letting them choose a special treat of their own.
Getting Kids to Buy into Packed Lunch Ideas
Putting together a healthy lunchbox might be the easy part. Getting a child to actually eat it might not be so easy! A lot of parents find it a lot easier to try things out at home first. If a child will eat a new sandwich at home at the weekend then there is no reason for them not to eat it at school.
Parents may also find that their children are a lot more receptive to taking a healthy lunchbox to school if they are involved in making it. Finding recipes and ideas that can be tried out together could be a quick and easy way of getting any child on side. This can also be a good way of helping solve problems with picky eaters.
Finally, do remember that a packed lunch needs to give a balanced nutritional intake. Look to include carbohydrate, protein, calcium and fruits/vegetables wherever possible.
Packed Lunch
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Packed Lunch Ideas
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