With this first week of school underway, everyone’s favorite chore of packing school lunches starts anew. As parents, it’s a common struggle to balance healthy choices, easy options and food our kids will actually eat. That’s why we’ve got five tips to make this year’s school lunches easy, healthy and kid-friendly.
1. Start with a bento box: We sang the praises of the bento box last year on this site, and it’s worth restating here. Whatever one you choose–a cheap one from Target or a fancy one on Amazon–bento boxes make it easier to pack real food for lunch and save on unnecessary waste. Plus, it’s a lot more pleasant to eat over a plate than a lunch bag.
2. Make your own lunchables: Once you’ve got a bento box, it’s easy to pack foods that your kids can assemble during lunch. Some favorite combos are pizza sauce + cheese + pita; hummus + cheese + cucumber + whole wheat crackers; turkey breast + mustard + tortilla wraps
3. Chop on Sundays: When eating healthy takes a bit more effort, sometimes we have to set ourselves (or our kids!) up for technical success. If you take a few minutes on Sunday to chop up veggies and fruit to store in the fridge, you’re more likely to pack them in lunches during a harried morning.
4. Make extra dinner. School lunch doesn’t have to be limited to a sandwich. If you’re making stir fry, pasta and veggies, or even soup for dinner, double the portion and have more for lunches. Anything that can be frozen, like pizza or soup, you can portion out for future lunches.
5. Purchase a good thermos. Thermoses can be expensive, but they last forever. With a good thermos, you can pack soup for lunch, and it will stay hot until lunch.
Wishing everyone a great new school year!
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