When back to school commercials start popping up on TV, my kids freak out! They know summer is coming to end. I, on the other hand, do a little happy dance. Back to routine! Back to uninterrupted workdays! But the start of school does bring back the one task I do dread- School Lunch Packing! But this year lunch packing is quite literally “In The Bag!” So here are my 6 tips for successful school lunch packing. 1) Pack what you know your kids will eat. Seems very obvious, but in an effort to pack a healthy lunch, we often times pack a lunch they won’t even eat. Remember healthy lunches are only healthy if…the food is eaten. So packing that PB&J everyday it is ok! And the less food kids toss; the less they waste. 2) Have a “If you don’t eat it bring it home” policy. By doing so you will quickly learn which foods your kids don’t like. Often times, the “dislike” has nothing to do with the “food” itself. Do a little Q&A. Did you have time to eat? Did you like what I packed? Did it fall apart, get cold or hot? Was it soggy? Once you narrow down the why your kids didn’t eat what you packed, you can make adjustments. Remember: They Need To Eat.
3) Include kids in lunch item shopping and preparation. Studies have shown when kids prepare meals they are more likely to eat them. Find a balance between what they may want and what you know they need. Of course, packing a lunch full of cookies and Cheetos is out of the question. Find a compromise; pack a sandwich, veggie wrap, or cheese and crackers along with the cookies. 4) Leftovers are wonderful! How can you and your family repurpose your leftovers? I will say this is easier in Elementary school. But I have been known to toss a leftover chicken leg in my middle schoolers lunch. Use leftover hamburger for nachos, pack a few chips, some grated cheese and cut up tomatoes and there you go! Kids can make their own nachos. 5) Stick to 3 key items. Over packing leads to tossing it all! 3 items seems offers choice and eating efficiency, which is very important when you need to get to the handball court! 6) Keep the environment in mind. Use recyclable products. Most schools are equipped with recycling bins. Better yet use a lunch box that will return home. Good luck this year packing lunches! I would love to hear what has worked for you and what did not work so well. Eat With Joy~ Carrie Chacon, Certified Clinical Nutritionist Owner of SNAC (simple, nourishing, affordable, cooking) pragmas and classes. carrie@snaccards.com SNAC website!
Shellie Reeder
8/19/2015 08:48:02 am
Fantastic suggestions and very timely! I even shared with my two middle school boys who pack their own lunches. So helpful! Thank you Carrie!
Tana
8/20/2015 03:33:46 pm
way to go CC! I especially love the bring it home policy! 9/29/2017 08:06:40 am
I like your approach with including kinds in lunch item shopping and preparation so that they will know how this process looks like and appreciate all the work. I believe lunch to be a very important part of the food ration and finding a compromise in such a way seems to be a good idea. Thanks for the advice, I will surely follow it when preparing a lunch for my son. 12/8/2021 04:56:23 am
3/1/2022 06:20:00 am
What an exquisite article! Your post is very helpful right now. Thank you for sharing this informative one. Comments are closed.
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