With such a lot of information out there about avoiding prepackaged and fast foods and the negative effects they can have on kids’ health, it only makes sense that a child should carry their own lunch to school.
It can be tiresome to pack lunch each day and a challenge to pack something that the kid will actually eat (as against throw away or give away), however with some of these lunch ideas for kids, hopefully the task becomes a little less tedious.
1.One of the lunch ideas for kids that is easy to incorporate is to substitute the white bread for sandwiches with whole grain bread or multigrain bread.
Remember to check what the proportions of which grain are in the bread; steer clear of the kind that have simply been colored brown using caramel or similar.
And if you have the same sort of bread at home, the child has probably developed a liking for it already.
2.Vary sandwiches with wraps, whole wheat pastas and so on
3.Another healthy and easy option is veggie sticks – cucumber, carrot, and many others will work well if you include an interesting dip along with this. it makes for a tasty and interesting lunch idea for kids.
4.Easy to eat finger foods are best, the sort that do not require peeling.
5.Instead of using deli meat or cold cuts, use roasted meat such as chicken, turkey with the skin off, or fillets of fish.
6.Add some fruit each day and get the child used to eating that or flavored yoghurt for sweet rather than a sugary dessert. Apples, bananas, plums, apricots and many other fruits are great; pick those that your kids enjoy.
7.Involve the kids in the preparing of their lunch – some of the best lunch ideas for kids may come from the kids themselves. And kids are always more willing to eat what they have suggested or helped prepare.
8.Substitute store bought spreads and sauces with your own which can be made using vegetable purees and fresh ingredients that don’t have artificial flavors, preservatives, or high levels of sugar and salt.
9.Consider the health aspect of your child’s lunch pack – what will stay fresh and healthy for hours without spoiling, is something to consider. In order to keep things fresh, pack a frozen gel pack or a packet of frozen juice along with the lunch.
10.Exchange notes about kids’ lunch ideas with other moms, preferably the moms of your kid’s friends. This way the child is happy to carry lunch to school which has been pre-approved by friends so to speak.
11.One of the important aspects of lunch ideas for kids refers to how their lunch is packed. Use interesting containers that the kids helped pick out themselves. This helps in several different ways – one you can pack the lunch the previous night and store it in the fridge, you create less garbage in terms of cling film, foil and plastic bags.
Also kids enjoy carrying boxes with cartoon characters and so on.
