And Then I Remembered … I Still Need to Fix Lunch!

I have good intentions – I really do. I love the idea of making the cute little Bento lunch boxes for my son to dive into during lunch time. I have visions of these adorable and colorful bites he can have fun eating. But, then I remember that I have been on the go since five o’clock in the morning, worked all day, played with the kids, fixed dinner, done laundry, cleaned the kitchen after dinner, got the kids settled into bed, and I am just now remembering that I need to fix lunch for tomorrow. Oh, no, wait … now I have to turn the hall light on and fix a glass of water for a thirsty five-year-old. Okay, NOW I am able to think about fixing his lunch. Clearly, my good intentions have gone out the window and it’s time to throw together whatever I can find. I do try hard to include a fruit, a vegetable, a protein, and some calcium so I guess I can give myself some credit in that department; however, I am always wondering if I fix too much, not enough, does he look around and wonder why on earth his mommy fixed “this” when his friends are eating “that”? In an effort to combat these questions, I created a list of ideas to make kid-friendly lunches enjoyable (both for the mommy and the child) and healthy, too!

1.  Always include foods which supply protein and pack plenty of fruits and veggies, too.
2. When shopping for the week, look for whole grains in breads, wraps or pitas.
3. Pick foods your kids can’t resist! Fruit cut into bit-sized pieces, veggies with a yogurt dip, whole-grain sandwiches, or fruity yogurt.
4. If kids don’t like meat (like my “vegenarian” who doesn’t like “hangaburger”), try nuts (note: pay attention to the classroom food allergies) or hummus dip with whole-grain pita chips.
5. Wrap it up! Roll-ups, stuffed pitas and bite-size morsels are fun for kids to eat and provide just the right amount of the good-for-them foods.
6. Place small squares of cheese, some crackers, and small rolls of turkey or ham in colorful holders (silicone cupcake holders are great for this, just be sure they come back home!).
7. Remember to include skim milk, or 100% fruit juice!
8. Keep your fridge stocked with a variety of foods. Consider making a week’s worth of lunches on Sunday so they can easily be grabbed on the way out.
9. Be sure to remember food safety. Pack perishables in an insulated bag (like this or this) with a re-freezable ice pack to keep them fresh until lunch time.
10. Let kids help you come up with their own lunch combos. The more involved they are in the process, the more enjoyable eating their lunch will be!

Hopefully this list will help you to effortlessly (and quickly!) pack fun and healthy lunches for your kids! After all, you still need to help find a show-and-tell item, pick out school clothes, provide snacks for the class, and make the class play-doh … oh, is that just me?