By SpringfieldMoms.org

Our busy lifestyles can make it difficult to come up with ideas on what and how to pack the lunch and find time to buy the ingredients!  With a little planning, packing lunch for the kids can be rewarding and maybe even a little fun!  Enjoy these ideas from Kari Thevenot on ways to streamline the process, new lunch packing trends and fresh ideas for sprucing up the lunch hour.

 
Tips and Tricks

When possible, pack two day's worth of lunches at one time. This will give you a day off!

Create a designated area in your kitchen with lunch packing items – food and drink containers, ziploc bags, wet wipes, utensils, etc.

Have your child review the school lunch calendar for the month and mark the days when he/she would definitely want to take a lunch to school. That will allow you to plan ahead.

Create a menu of different options for the child to pick from. They will be more apt to be excited if they get to make some of the decisions.

Purchase a stainless steel liquid container. These do a great job keeping things warm! In the morning, put very hot/boiling water into the container for a few minutes. Empty and then replace with soup or other hot items.

Make some notes for your children to put into their lunch boxes – it can be "I love you" or a funny joke. Some children are easily embarrassed, so make sure this is OK with them. Other ideas: stickers, zany band (make sure they aren't banned at your child's school) or other small items.

Use muffin cups to separate foods if your lunch box doesn't have separate compartments. Go green! Purchase silicone muffin cups so that they can be reused.

 
Lunch Packing Trends -Bento Boxes

Long used by Japanese children, Bento boxes are compartmentalized lunch containers. They are typically smaller than a "normal" lunch container and will have multiple compartments for food. Even though they are smaller, it is possible to get a lot of food in them. Kids love them because their food is kept separate!

Compartmentalized containers can be purchased at stores like Walmart or Target, or there are many sources online to order traditional Japanese bento boxes. The boxes can be more adult themed for the older child or with all sorts of popular characters such as Disney princesses, Pooh, Pokemon, etc.
 

What to Pack?

It's important that our kids have a well-balanced lunch!  Lunch should include a protein, fruits/vegetables, grains, as well as something healthy to drink. Here are some kid-friendly ideas:


Protein

Tortilla pinwheels with any of the following combinations: cream cheese, ham and cream cheese, jelly and cream cheese, peanut butter and jelly. Healthier options: wheat tortillas, reduced-fat cream cheese, reduced sugar or sugar-free jelly.

Crackers with cheese and/or meat. Healthier options: reduced fat/sodium crackers, light cheese.

Sandwiches with meat (with or without cheese). Healthier options: whole grain bread, bread without high fructose corn syrup, light cheese.

Mini bagels with cream cheese. Healthier option: wheat bagel, reduced-fat cream cheese.

 
Fruits/Vegetables

Carrot/Celery sticks with or without Ranch dip. Healthier: light or fat-free Ranch dip.

Lettuce with Ranch dressing. Healthier: darker leaf lettuce, light or fat-free Ranch dressing.

Bing cherries (not recommended for younger children because of the pits).

Fruit cups (applesauce, oranges, etc.). Healthier: fruit in its own juice, not containing high fructose corn syrup.

Whole fruit (apple, banana, etc.).

Apple slices (already prepared, or slice your own and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning).

Grapes (for younger children, be sure to slice the grapes in half).

 
Snack/Dessert

Create a snack mix with your child's favorites – pretzel shapes, goldfish crackers, nuts, M&M's, etc.

Nilla wafers with vanilla yogurt. Healthier: low-fat or fat-free yogurt.

Toasted tortilla chips with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled, serve with applesauce. Healthier: wheat tortillas, all-natural applesauce that hasn't been sweetened, use the cinnamon sugar sparingly.

Cut up fruit pieces with vanilla yogurt. Healthier: low-fat or fat-free yogurt.

Fruit salad (cut up pieces of apples and grapes with a little drizzle of honey or agave nectar for a sweeter treat).

100-calorie snack bag.

Piece of candy.

Small cookie.

Pretzels with chocolate peanut butter.

 
Drink

Juice box. Healthier: all-natural juice which hasn't been sweetened with sugar.

Bottled water.

If your child has a lunch ticket, he/she can still get milk from the school cafeteria.

 

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