Healthy Lunch Box Ideas for Kids
Quick and Easy School Lunch Ideas
Many parents find themselves scrambling for quick and healthy lunch box ideas. The following is a few ideas to help parents and children find creative and nutritious meal ideas for school.
Make Fruit and Vegetables Palatable for Children
Most children will turn up their nose at over-cooked vegetables but most will enjoy the crunching and dipping of raw vegetables. Cut veggie sticks are a classic lunch box item that can be made more palatable by pairing the veggies with a favorite dip such as hummus, ranch, sour cream, or even ketchup.
Children and parents both know that fruit is good for them but some children need to be coerced to eat it on a regular basis. Homemade fruit cups, salads and fruit kebabs can help to keep fruit fun and interesting for small children. Flavored yogurt makes a fun and yummy dip for fruit.
Beyond Sandwiches
Wholegrain or multigrain bagels spread with regular or flavored cream cheese is a delicious and healthy alternative to sandwiches. Whole-wheat pitas can be stuffed with favorite meats, vegetables, salads, chickpeas, falafels, or cheese. Some children may enjoy having the filling packed in a separate container and then assembling their own pita at lunchtime.
Lunch doesn't have to include a classic stuffed bread or sandwich. A lunch box filled with wholegrain tortilla chips, salsa, shredded cheese and other favorite toppings can make lunch fun for little ones. Deli meats and sausages paired with cheese and wholegrain crackers provide a healthier alternative to prepackaged lunches that are filled with preservatives.
Healthy Juice and Beverage Options
Real, 100% juice or milk is a much better option than many of the beverages and juice boxes available in the store and in cafeterias. With a wide variety of reusable drink containers available for sale parents have the option of sending more nutritious drinks to school for their children. As a bonus, reusable containers are also a more environmentally friendly option than disposable juice boxes and cartons.
Water is always the optimal drink of choice for both adults and children. Children will enjoy a limited amount of juice each day but it is important that they understand that they should drink plenty of water throughout the day as well.
Healthy Desserts and Snacks
Homemade cookies, cakes and puddings are a more nutritious option than their store-bought counterparts. Homemade snacks can be made with whole wheat, milk and natural sweeteners rather than empty white flour and sugar.
Yogurt is available in individual cups, tubes that can be frozen for a treat or large containers that can be divided into smaller, individual containers. It is a healthy and tasty treat that most children love.
Timesaving Ideas for Quick and Easy Lunches
- Pre-washed and cut veggie and fruit trays are widely available in grocery stores and delis. Some parents may find that the extra cost is worth the time saved.
- Baking large batches of cookies, brownies and muffins may require some extra time spent in the kitchen initially, but once these treats have been frozen in freezer bags they provide quick and easy snacks for several weeks.
- Leftover pasta and casseroles that can be warmed up at school provide a nice alternative to sandwiches. Leftover pizza is always a big hit!
- If fast food is necessary or an emergency comes up, delis can provide a much healthier alternative to fast food restaurants.
Packing lunches can become monotonous particularly if both parents and children get bored with their food choices. A little big of planning and creativity will go a long way to providing children with lunches that are fun to eat, easy to prepare and healthy.
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Healthy Lunch Box Ideas
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