My kids are all about having their own lunch box and being able to help pack it. We use our lunch boxes for trips to the park, when we go to an all-day event and for school lunch. My son is 3 years old and he goes to a preschool/daycare. He is the pickiest eater I have ever known in my life. The first few weeks at his preschool I did not pack him a lunch because I was hoping he would expand his food horizons when he saw other kids eating different foods. Guess what, he just ended up refusing to eat and would come home starving. So now he takes a lunch box and almost every day it has the same few items in it. We have some work to do with that little guy! My 5 year old daughter, on the other hand, is much more adventurous about trying new foods. She started Kindergarten this year and packing lunches for her is a lot of fun! I have put together my 5 favorite healthy lunch box combos to give you some ideas of what to pack when school is back in session.
**The school my child attends is not a peanut-free zone. If the school your child goes to is peanut-free, feel free to substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter in any of the lunch box recipes.
1. All-natural, uncured ham slices rolled up, cut and placed on toothpicks, grapes, Nature’s Bakery Blueberry Fig Bar (my favorite is lemon or mango) and carrots cut up into fun shapes.
2. BBQ shredded crockpot chicken, pita crackers, raisins and pistachios mixed and organic strawberry yogurt.
3. Thick cut of all-natural, uncured ham cut into cubes, sweet potato chips, organic granola bar and unsweetened applesauce.
4. Low-sodium turkey slices rolled up, frozen sweet peas, sliced organic strawberries, organic cheese stick and Strawberry Peanut Butter Blender Muffins.
5. Oatmeal Raisin Energy Bites, black olives, Pan-Fried Sweet Potatoes, apple slices with Peanut Butter Fruit Dip.
Fun Tips:
Buy a few fun shaped cookie cutters to make boring sandwiches a little more exciting.
Brighten up their day with a colorful lunch box and containers like the ones pictured above from Bentology!
Write down the menu for the week and go grocery shopping. With a little meal prep, lunch boxes can be quick and easy to put together each morning (or night before).
Use colorful utensils, napkins and water bottles.
Make sure containers are easy to open and labeled with your child’s name.
Have fun with packing lunches, get creative and let the kids get involved too!
For more nutrition tips and easy healthy recipes, follow me on FaceBook, Instagram @KariBurghardt and Twitter @KariBurghardt. Check out my website at www.shinewithinnutrition.com and subscribe to my newsletter so that you never miss out on a great recipe!
((Hugs))
Kari
