Thinking outside the box: packing a healthy lunch your child will eat!

Are you looking forward to back to school time, but dreading packing lunches every night or in a rush before your child leaves for school? How about putting children in charge of packing their own lunch? Teaching children how to pack their own lunch is a valuable lesson for a few reasons: it’s a great way to teach them how to create a well-balanced meal, bringing a lunch can save money and make sure they are getting proper nutrition, and putting them in charge of this task also creates more time for you!

Ditch the boring PB&J with these helpful resources:

100daysofrealfood.com

This website has lots of photos of school lunches with ingredients included.   You can also search the lunches for “dairy-free” or “nut-free” if your child or classroom has any restrictions.

Nomnompaleo.com

You don’t have to follow a paleo lifestyle to find this website useful. I love looking at all of the colorful meals she puts together for her children’s lunches.

Nourishingmeals.com

I share the “Packing a Healthy Lunchbox” resource with all of the school-age children in my practice. I have them cross foods off they don’t like and add their favorites that might be missing from the chart – this empowers them to pack their own lunch and you will find they will actually eat what they pack!

Useful tools that make lunch time exciting:

Yumbox – lots of compartments if your child is more of a “snacker”

Insulated containers – great for packing warm soups

Bread cutter – cut sandwiches into fun shapes

Notecards – pack your child a loving message or funny joke to brighten their day

Packing a healthy lunch does not have to be boring or take a lot of time.  Utilizing some of the tips above should help to start the school year out right, all you need to do is think outside the box!