Is that what you say to yourself every night or morning while getting food ready for your kids? I sure don’t and I won’t write here what I am actually thinking…
Packing lunches is yet another thing on the list of never-ending tasks of to-do’s at the end (or beginning) of a long day. I personally do as much as I can the night before since I am not a morning person and every last second of sleep counts for me.
My kids, who are 3 and 5 years old, started camp a week ago and I decided to keep their lunches super simple but also wanted them to be healthy. Of course, nothing can be heated or refrigerated to make things more interesting.
In order to make things easy, I decided that their lunches would be pretty similar every day. I do give them some options to pick from, which is always nice for the toddler/pre-school age group. If your children are older than elementary school, they should be packing their own food for whatever they are doing this summer!
5 Tips for lunch planning and prepping:
- Decide the menu for the week the day you go food shopping (I typically go Sundays)
- Have a set time to prep the meal (either night before or early morning)
- Fruits are healthy, easy to pack, and most don’t need refrigeration
- Individually packaged snacks are easy but if you prefer to save some money and/or use re-usable snack containers, you can do that as well
- I like to put ice packs in their lunches to keep meals cold, even when they don’t need to be refrigerated
The menu for my children include choice of peanut butter or hummus sandwich on whole wheat bread, apple sauce or mixed vegetable/fruit pouches (Costco has great options!), a small container of fruit (choice of grapes, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries), and a Kind bar (kids) for extra protein. They also take a separate snack in their backpack (individually packed whole grain Goldfish or pretzels).
It may sound boring but after doing this for a week, I have not had complaints about repeating food. They get to choose which kind of sandwich and fruit they get and I alternate the snacks. Every child will like different things, so take advantage of what yours likes to come up with a simple menu that will be easy and healthy.
I recommend including whole grains, protein, healthy fats, and fruits and/or vegetables as much as possible. Sandwiches are very versatile, so you can even add vegetables to a hummus sandwich (like cucumber or tomatoes), make turkey and cheese sandwiches, or use any deli meat you have. Fruits and nuts are great snacks.
I avoid sending cookies or granola bars that have very high sugar content. In my experience taking care of young children with headaches, meals that are too high in sugar/carbohydrates, won’t keep them full for too long. Protein is the best way to give someone a steady source of energy. When their blood sugar drops is when we start to see headaches, fatigue, and crankiness.
Drinking lots of water in the hot summer weather is also key, so don’t forget those refillable water bottles!
