Summer time brings camp, outside time, and… prepping lunches. During the school year, my daughter got free lunch and my son was only in school from 9 to 12, so he ate lunch at home. Their diet involved a lot of soup with vegetables and pasta, so figuring out how to make healthy lunches for them was tricky at first.
We finally settled on peanut butter on whole wheat bread for my daughter and hummus on whole wheat bread for my son. We also send in a Kind bar, applesauce, some fruit, string cheese or yogurt, turkey jerky stick, and some obligatory carb (Goldfish, Pirate’s Booty, pretzels, popcorn). Luckily, toddlers and young elementary school children often enjoy eating the same thing; that is until the day where they change their mind about that one thing they loved so much and look at you like you are the worst person ever for even suggesting they eat it. We haven’t had any major issues yet with changes in taste with the snacks we send in their lunchboxes.
Every child will be different, so here are some broad tips you can apply to your kids to help prep their lunches and make it a smooth operation that takes no time!
- Find a healthy “main course”. Sandwiches on whole wheat bread are great options. My children won’t eat deli meat but turkey and cheese sandwiches, tuna sandwiches (this may not be a favorite around other kids), cheese only, hummus with or without veggies, peanut butter (I skip the jelly) can be great options.
- Send in real fruit. The trick is to pack it in ways where the fruit doesn’t get completely crushed or that it leaks everywhere. Clementines travel well in plastic containers and so do grapes and strawberries. Bananas are always a good option. I even sent in peeled, sliced cucumbers once and my son ate them!
- Choose snacks wisely. A lot of the “kid-friendly” snacks that are individually packed have a lot of sugar, especially granola bars and fruit gummies. I like Kind bars since they have a good amount of protein and a low amount of sugar. I put an ice pack in the lunchbox, so string cheese and small yogurts stay cool.
- Let them help. My children love to feel like they are in charge of things, so having them select items for their lunch is a sure way to ensure they eat everything.
- Send only water. Juice or any other sugary drink should be kept to a minimum – ideally no more than 4 oz per day. Milk is good in the morning or evening but it has a lot of calories and it may prevent them from eating other things in their lunch.
Bonus tip: I also meal prep their dinners. If you are lucky enough that your kids eat what you eat, congrats! Also, email me for a guest blog post on your secrets, please! I started cutting up fruits and veggies ahead of time that I serve for their dinner. I also boil a lot of pasta (whole wheat) and keep 90 second brown rice packs that are easy to make. We have been doing a lot of pepperoni and mini meatballs that cook in 45 seconds for our protein choice this summer. This way, their meal will have a carb, a protein, and some veggies/fruits and will be ready in 2-3 minutes.
I hope everyone’s summer is going well! I would love to hear your tips for kid meals and packing lunches.
