One major struggle for mums have been packing a healthy lunch box while trying to get the kids ready for school, clean up and get yourself ready for work or school rounds. There’s the constant struggle to not just throw in everything you find. When food for kids are packed in a hurry, a bunch of unhealthy or appealing things might get in the box.
According to the Happy Snack Company, the content of your kids lunch box can make up a third of their daily nutritional requirement and also provide them with the energy they need to stay active throughout the day. Keep reading to discover amazing tips that can help you pack a healthy lunch box with ease.
Have a checklist
Make a checklist that consists of healthy options from each category of food. You can post it someplace where it’s visible at all times. It can also help guide your shopping and of course your meal preparation.
See sample below:
- Fruits: Apples, Bananas,
- Vegetables: Carrots, Lettuce,
- Carbs: Bread, rice, Crackers
- Protein: Fish, Meat, Peanut butter, baked beans, eggs
- Drinks: Nunu milk and Water
- Desert: Fruits, Raisins
Know how much to pack
Be cautious of meal sizes and portions for your kids. If they are different ages, they get different portions. Too much food can look discouraging and overwhelming for them, and this applies to too little food for the older kids. And throw in a favourite of each person’s food, this is a good way to make the food look appetizing.
Make it Appealing
It can be really frustrating when kids come home from school with their lunch box and the lunch you put so much effort into packing is still untouched or barely eaten. Experiment with compartmentalized lunch boxes that allows your kids see almost everything at once the box is opened. You can also be deliberate about colours, by placing the brightly coloured food in clear view, this can also help whet their appetite.
Make it filling
This is super important when packing a lunch box. You won’t be at school when they need that second serving, so you might as well pack a filling lunch for them. This also helps that stay active and not hungry earlier than they should . You can also throw in some healthy snack options into their lunch boxes. You can try out something real quick from our healthy snack recipes for kids like our Fun baked blueberry oatmeal cups.
We would definitely love to hear how this article helped you, do send your interesting lunch box stories, and if you find this really helpful, then you would love to read our post on How to Sneak Veggies into Your Kids Meal