Whether you're packing lunches for camp, school or a road trip, making sure whatever goes into that brown bag or plastic baggie is nutritious and balanced is important on many levels. And even better, there are ways to make things interesting for them when it comes to a nourishing lunch.
Try out these tips to ensure your kids are getting lunches that are equal parts healthy, satisfying, easy and fun:
Food Hide & Seek: Sneaking in veggies into everyday foods is a great way to get their vitamins and minerals in. Still, you shouldn’t feel as though you need to operate under secrecy. You can go the vegetable-spiked smoothie route, or use Ragú as your base for all-things-veggie. Think about other fruit-and-veg-based foods, like zucchini or banana bread, as a vehicle to get the health benefits in.
Have Your Go-To List: In theory, you’d have all the time in the world to prepare and pack lunches for your kids. In reality, though, that’s not always the case – and you need a quick fix that you can both execute easily and also trust nutritionally. Figure out five go-to items or recipes that your kids will enjoy, and you can make it fun by creating themes out of them. Meatless Mondays, anyone? Turkey sandwich Tuesdays? The options are endless.
Know the New Pyramid: Lots of things have changed in the past decade or two when it comes to food and nutrition. Not only have serving sizes increased, but now there’s new suggestions to the “Food Pyramid” as an update for today’s consumption habits. And, did you know that boys and girls actually have different nutritional needs? Take these into consideration when packing up those snacks.
Get Social: In a rut or out of ideas? Turn to the web for inspiration and guidance – whether it’s by asking fellow moms for tips on Facebook, or finding a Pinterest board for picky eaters.
Make Things Interesting: Start a tradition of leaving funny notes or drawings in your child’s lunch, or have them review that day’s lunch and report back for a special treat. Making things interactive will give them a reason to be excited for lunch… and hopefully deter them from trading it for a less-healthy option.
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