As a parent, you have a lot of things, but time probably isn’t among them. You want to ensure that your children are eating a nutritious lunch when they’re at school, but it isn’t always easy to find the time to make it for them.
What if they were able to make their own lunches? This way, they can learn how to take on more responsibility and they are able to choose the food they actually want. First, you need to set the guidelines.
TIPS:
Get in the habit of packing lunches the night before.
Everything is so rushed in the morning, it’s best to take care of packing a school lunch before bedtime so you have one less thing keeping you from getting to school on time.
Talk about portion control.
Let your kids know how much of each type of item they should pack. Otherwise, they’ll go to school and eat 20 chocolate chip cookies for lunch.
Make the food accessible.
Place the items meant for school lunches at the front of the refrigerator or in a special drawer. Consistency will make the whole process easier.
Have a designated space for them to make their lunches.
This will aid in organization and help everything run as smoothly as possible. Also, it gives them a place to put their lunchbox at the end of the day (besides the floor).
Watch them do it at first.
You know how your kids can be. Even though you’ve told them exactly what you expect, they have a way of interpreting your words to mean the exact opposite. Keep an eye on them to make sure they can do it themselves.
LUNCH IDEAS:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
This is a classic for a reason. It’s simple and satisfying. As long as they’re able to open the containers, they should be able to make a great sandwich. You may need to make sure they don’t make a mess, though.
Fresh Fruit
This is healthy for them and all they have to do is throw it into their lunchbox. It doesn’t get much easier than that. Plus, it tastes so much better than the stuff in the fruit cups (not to mention there’s a lot less sugar).
Leftovers
Many school cafeterias have microwave ovens where your kids can heat up the rest of dinner. This will help you feed your children and keep from wasting any food that may otherwise turn into a science experiment at the back of the refrigerator.
Prepackaged Items
This could be anything from potato chips to granola bars. If you buy these (and put them in the special place we talked about), then you will be able to create many combinations of lunches that are easy and delicious.
Lunchables
When all else fails, go with the easiest option. Pop one of these bad boys in your child’s lunchbox and he/she will be the coolest kid at the lunch table.
