Lunch Box Quick Tips

As families are getting ready for a brand new year at school, kids are making the most out of their last few weeks of summer and parents are thinking of ways they can help their kids succeed in the upcoming year. While school lunches sounds like an easy aspect of a kid’s day-to-day life, why not make them healthier than school-issued lunches and more fun than what the other kids are bringing. You can provide a nutritional balace of foods that are visually appealing and have a fun factor for kids. You don’t have to be a chef to build these three elements into your child’s lunch.

 Visual Appeal

Presentation is important for kids. Consider getting a bento lunch box, also known as a laptop lunch box, for your kids. This way, when they open their lunch, it’s all conveniently laid out for them. This is a great approach for picky eaters.

Fun Factor

Get imaginative with leftovers and fresh foods. In this Weelicious video, Catherine explains that slightly unconventional shapes and sizes make all the difference in enticing a child to eat healthy foods. Consider melon balls instead of adding chunks of watermelon to your child’s lunch.  Add a slice of cheese in the shape of a star. Use a cookie cutter to create a fun shaped sandwich.

Balance

Including a variety of healthy foods can also add to visual benefit of lunch. Kids like color! Add pineapple and blueberries as something sweet to enjoy. Build an open faced sandwich with different color cheeses in different shapes.  Include some shelled edemame for something green that kids actually enjoy!  Get creative with ingredients: create shapes with fruit bars to make them appear like cookies, use waffles to make a sandwich instead of regular bread and surprise them with a piece of wrapped candy at the end of the meal (hidden in the bottom of the box). What are some of your favorite lunch box tips?