Do you find yourself in a frenzy every morning, scrambling to pack school lunches just in time before your kids leave? Or are you a newcomer to the frantic routine of sending your kids off to school with a packed lunch for the first time? If you’re in either scenario, then this guide comes at the perfect time. From smart strategies to practical tips, save yourself time and stress when packing school lunches with this guide!
Grab your pen and paper, and get ready to be schooled!
Start thinking of the next set of meals as early as the weekends
Packed school lunch planning is a must, as with dinners for the week. Organizing a game plan for a week’s school lunches helps prevent last-minute trips to the nearest store and canteen orders. What’s more, it will ensure that your kids are eating a balanced lunch box that ticks the boxes of a nutritious lunch—featuring fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, lean protein, and, of course, water!
Before each new week begins, plan balanced lunch meals and create a shopping list for the necessary ingredients. Get everything during your weekly grocery trip, then set aside time on Sunday for preparing time-consuming essentials, like boiled eggs or protein sources. This way, all you’ll need to do every school day is chop vegetables and fruits and assemble everything! You could even opt to do this the night before, giving yourself a few extra minutes to sleep in.
Choose wholegrain goodness
Carbohydrates are crucial for providing energy to your child’s growing body, especially during their busy school day filled with learning and play. Opt to swap out their carbohydrates with the wholegrain or high-fiber varieties for longer-lasting energy and sufficient nutritional support.
Don’t reserve the veggies for dinner
Many kids only consume veggies at dinnertime. While it’s good to eat veggies with dinner, once a day isn’t enough to meet their nutritional needs! It’s unlikely they’ll get all their daily veggies in one meal, so adding some to their lunches will help ensure they receive essential nutrients throughout the day.
Simply chopping up vegetable sticks, inserting heaps inside muffins, or serving wholegrain crackers with a vegetable-based dip are easy ways to incorporate more vegetables into their diet. The opportunities to make vegetables fun for your kids are endless!
Prepare lunch meals with your kid
Whether it’s mixing ingredients for vegetable muffins, adding toppings to tomorrow’s pizza, or picking out fruits at the store, kids are more likely to eat what they’ve had a hand in preparing. Not only is their interest in healthy foods encouraged, but they are also rewarded with a sense of accomplishment and independence.
Maybe the real strangers are the pre-packaged snacks
Pre-packaged snack options are often loaded with added sugars, artificial flavors and colors, and preservatives. In other words, they fail to provide your kid’s energy requirements and nutritional needs. But fret not–this does not mean to ditch the pre-packaged snacks altogether and build lunch meals from scratch. Just remember to take extra caution when selecting pre-packaged snacks. Just because a product is found in the healthy food aisle, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s nutritious. Always check the ingredient list and nutrition label to make informed choices for your child’s health and well-being.
And that’s that! Simple as the tips may sound, they make a significant difference in your precious time, stress levels, and your kid’s everyday lunches. Preparing lunches does not have to be the cause of early wrinkles.
