It’s so easy to toss some food in our kid’s lunch box and send them on their way to school, especially when running late. So I thought I would share how to pack healthier school lunches for kids + ideas that are doable.
Pack Healthier School Lunches for Kids + Ideas
My husband and I aren’t perfect parents, but I can say we do eat healthy most of the time. We especially send our son off to school with proper nutrition. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
Plan your week
Sit down for a few minutes on Sunday afternoon and plan out the next week’s lunches. This will help prepare you for what’s on the menu and make your mornings go smooth.
Shop in the healthy section
Many grocery stores today have a healthy section that offers alternatives to less nutritional foods; for instance, I buy Annie’s Crackers instead of Cheez-it which cuts down on fat, salt, and carbs. Not to mention Annie’s has no artificial flavors or synthetic preservatives. And don’t forget to shop for foods that contain Omega 3 essential fatty acids as this gives kids’ an added brain boost, and that’s what we as parents are trying to accomplish. Plus, there are coupons available for healthier foods too.
Include fruits and vegetables in healthier school lunches for kids
Choose the ones your kids will eat and rotate them out. It may cost a little more, but there are fruits and veggies already cut up.
Choose drinks wisely
It’s not only about the food, but drinks are also important, too. Choosing milk, water or low sugar juice is always a better choice than sugary drinks and sodas. It’s honestly okay to send your kids with water in their lunches.
Change it up
Eating the same lunch every day is boring – even the healthy ones. Keep your kids happy and try something new. Plus, eating a variety of foods gives your body a variety of nutrients.
Stay away from packaged snacks
Yep, it’s easier to throw them in, but those salty and sugary snacks are not doing their daily energy levels any good.
Buy a new lunch box or bag
Swap out those boring brown bags and opt for a neat “green” lunch box or bag and save the earth at the same time! Plus, there are plenty of good useable sandwich bags you can use instead of using plastic bags all the time.
Great Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids
Now it’s time to pack healthier school lunches for your kids.
- Whole-wheat tortilla wrap with nut butter, veggie slices, and baked chips or pretzels
- Boiled egg, whole-wheat crackers, cheese squares, unsweetened applesauce
- Yogurt, raspberries, banana, Annie’s cheddar squares,
- Leftovers: chicken on a sandwich and cold mac & cheese, cut up fruit on a stick,
- Taco salad w/out meat, no salt chips, fruit on the side
- Wild Planet tuna fish sandwich (my son loves tuna), fresh blueberries and blackberries, Annie’s cookies
- Tomato, cheese, spinach (repeat) on a stick, healthy dressing on the side, air-popped popcorn tossed in cinnamon sugar
- Bread-free sandwiches such as a slice of low sodium lunch meat wrapped around a cheese stick, pickle, fruit cup
I do hope this gives you some good ideas on how to pack a healthier lunch for your kids. School is so important, and we need our kids to have proper nutrition and brainpower, and that begins at home.
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