It’s been made pretty clear that in school cafeterias across the nation, unless you are a “pre-Jillian and Bob” contestant on The Biggest Loser and your idea of “healthy eating” is a slice of pizza with a side of French fries, nutritious options for your kids are just not readily avaliable. What’s a parent to do?
If you aren’t already, make this year the year you start packing your kids’ lunches on a daily basis. While the task may be a bit of a chore, there are ways to get your kids involved and get them excited about packing a healthy lunch from home.
- Make packing lunch your nightly routine together. After dinner and the post-meal cleanup is done, bring out the lunchbox and have your child help you get things packed for tomorrow. Not only will they feel happy to have the input and involvement, but you’ll get to spend time together and will whet their appetite for what they will be excited to dig into the next day.
- Swap old favorites for healthier substitutes. Instead of the pre-packaged, white flour cracker/processed meat/”not actually cheese” combos, pack your child whole wheat crackers, cucumber slices, hummus, and sliced tomatoes so they can build their own towers each day. A great play on the traditional PB&J on white bread is almond butter and banana slices on whole wheat. Make your trades based on your child’s likes, and ask them what new things they would like to try.
- Sometimes the best treats aren’t edible. While it’s fine to include a healthy cookie or granola bar, and even better to include an extra sweet piece of ripe, seasonal organic fruit, often you can make your kid’s day by packing a sweet ending that they don’t eat. A note on a napkin, a new sparkly pencil or a few stickers to share with a friend will leave your kid stuffed–with love and gratefulness that you’ve showed you care.
Hopefully these ideas will get you excited to get packing with your kids and maybe even start packing your own lunch. Maybe you should pass on that High School Musical 3 lunchbox for the office, though.
