How often do you send your child to school with a lunch packed, a note inside, and a wonderful meal you planned out to help them stay energized for the day, only to find that when they get home, they've barely touched anything besides the cheese stick and the applesauce?
It's frustrating; you're concerned they aren't eating enough, and they come home starving, asking for all the snacks when dinner is still an hour away. Lunch is just as important as any other meal throughout the day to keep your family energized, but kids' lunches often need to be crafted with a bit of science. We're talking about making them fun, exciting, and portioned correctly so as not to overwhelm them and turn their appetite off.
In this blog, we'll cover healthy lunch box hacks that can help you prepare a more satisfying meal for kids, help them eat more, and ensure they get enough food to stay energized. We’ll discuss Snackle Boxes, homemade Lunchables, easy meals, and why you should include a treat, too! Let’s dive in.
Snackle Box Lunch
This style of eating gained popularity as a way to transport snacks for kids while traveling in a portion-controlled manner and offer them options. It absolutely blew up on TikTok and other social media channels, to the point that Target now brands lunch pails as Snackle Boxes as part of their Back to School promotion. Why are these a great way to help your kids eat lunch? They offer a platform to promote variety, introduce new foods in a small way that won't overwhelm them, and give the child autonomy over what they would like to eat.
We recommend starting with six mini options: make two spaces for protein sources like yogurt, cheese sticks, pepperoni, egg bites, jerky, or edamame. The next two spaces should be filled with carbs, ideally whole grains. This could be whole-grain Goldfish, crackers, Teddy Grahams, cereal, bread, or pretzels. Choosing at least one whole grain option is great here to help provide fiber, healthy fats, and additional protein for fullness. Lastly, add color. Choose one fruit and one vegetable to add to the squares, giving them something with vitamins and minerals. Green peas can be fun; cucumbers, peppers, etc., can all be great foods to munch on. To keep the fruit fresh, try mandarin oranges, berries, or a whole apple to prevent spoilage before eating.
The Snackle Box can be a great way to introduce and trial new foods like broccoli to increase exposure. Children are more likely to try new foods with their peers rather than facing the high pressure of dinner time, so start introducing these new foods in the Snackle Box and at dinner!
Homemade Lunchables
I remember as a kid begging my parents to buy us Lunchables to bring to school. They always said no because they were expensive. However, you can give your kids the same Lunchable appeal with the ingredients you choose. Kids love the pizza ones! Get mini naan bread, add a few tablespoons of tomato sauce, ¼ cup of cheese, and turkey pepperoni to the lunch. Include a 100% real fruit juice beverage or flavored water and a small dessert, like two Hershey Kisses, for an easy, cost-effective option.
Want more protein? Get crackers, cut cheese into squares or buy it pre-cut, cut your own ham or turkey into circles, and enjoy. Add some grapes, something sweet, and a drink. It can be that simple and much more cost-effective.
Other Easy Meal Ideas
Finger foods always work best for packed lunches, especially for younger kids. Here are some of our favorite recommendations:
- Wrap pinwheels with two slices of meat, one slice of cheese, add lettuce and tomato on a whole grain wrap. Include fruit on the side and vegetables with a dip like hummus or yogurt ranch, and add something sweet.
- Egg bites dipped in ketchup (these can be eaten cold) with crackers or pretzels, add fruit sushi on the side (skewer apples, grapes, cherries, and banana for something fun), and don’t forget something sweet!
- Fun sandwiches cut into shapes can make lunch more enjoyable. Use a cookie cutter to cut the sandwich into stars, snowmen, or other shapes for a fun surprise. Add some apples and peanut butter on the side, and a crunchy vegetable, too!
Add Something Sweet
You might have noticed that in every example we provided, we recommended adding a dessert or something sweet to the meal. Why is that? We want to normalize these foods as part of a healthy and balanced diet, rather than exclude them or place them on a pedestal where they need to be earned or are considered bad for us. When we include them, we show that they can be part of a portion-controlled meal, normalizing their consumption. Once we stop labeling foods as off-limits and teach how to maintain a healthy balance with sweet foods, it becomes easier to regulate our cravings, and our interest in those foods tends to drop overall. When something is labeled as off-limits, it’s hard to resist because we don’t like being told we can’t have something or that it’s bad for us. Normalizing these foods and incorporating them into meals with nutrient density can help us develop a healthier relationship with our food.
Conclusion
With these lunch box hacks, you can transform your child’s lunchtime experience into a fun and nutritious adventure. By incorporating variety, creativity, and balance into their meals, you’ll not only keep them energized and satisfied but also make lunchtime something they look forward to.Want more family-friendly meal ideas, expert guidance on child nutrition, and additional resources to support healthy eating habits? Join our Nourished membership today! As a member, you'll gain access to exclusive meal plans, helpful training sessions on child nutrition, and a wealth of tips to make feeding your family easier and more enjoyable. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enhance your family’s nutrition and mealtime experience. Sign up now and start nourishing your family with confidence here: nourishedwithemily.com/membership-and-programs
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