Recently I was invited to speak on TV in Calgary and Ottawa (above) about getting ready for the back to the school grind of making lunches again. (Oh how I love summer when I don’t have to make lunches! But I digress….)
I’m a lunch-packing mom, and I understand just how difficult it is to ensure kids are eating the right foods. Making sure they’re not just eating the snacks, and getting all the nutrients they need to get through the school day.
Here are a few simple tips that I hope help. Please let me know your own tricks and tips, because honestly, we can all use a little bit of help getting back to school.
- Take the kids grocery shopping with you. That may seem counter-intuitive but honestly, it’s the easiest way for them to tell you what they like to eat. Ask them if their friends had something they liked in their lunch boxes to get other ideas of what they want to eat.
- Buy a ton of reusable containers and bags in several sizes (AND LABEL THEM). Some are really fun and my kids love having new cool containers for their food. Plus, there are great options for sandwiches and thermoses that make eating lunches easier (and less soggy!).
- Build-a-Sandwich. After a year of not eating her lunch in kindergarten I realized that my daughter hated sandwiches because they got soggy in her lunch box. Honestly, it was a revelation! I found cool, reusable containers that I can pack her sandwich components in separately and she can put it together herself. Everyone wins!
- Chop food the night before (as you’re making dinner is great). That way you have pre-cut veggies and fruit and maybe even sandwiches so you aren’t running around in the morning like a crazy person throwing lunches together. Or is that just me who does that??
- Last year I started a little lunches calendar. Nothing serious, just so I could know in advance what I was making for lunch. I sit with my kids once a week and we talk about the kinds of things they might want to eat then we plan out the lunch schedule. This is also a great way to pre-make grocery lists as an extra added bonus!
Lunch pieces pictured in the newsletter are from LunchBots.
