Back to School Lunch Ideas
Making sure our kids eat a nutritious lunch at school while also filling their bellies to make it through the day can sometimes feel overwhelming. Some days we barely have time to make dinner, and then we have to think about packing lunch for the day. Here are some back to school lunch ideas from my friend, Registered Dietitian, Jackie Vega.
Here are some tips and tricks to making sure packing lunch is less stressful and healthier for your kids!
Pack what they’ll eat
Kids are more likely to eat their lunches at school when you pack things they like. (Even if it means packing the same thing every day!).
Include them in the Process
Help them pick out the main food, (think sandwich or leftovers from dinner). Make sure to include a fruit and veggie. Keep it simple and ready to eat. And yes, you can pack a small treat for them without it completely derailing their healthy lunch. The more they are a part of the process, the more it ensures they will have foods that they enjoy.
Eat the Rainbow
Try to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. It doesn’t always have to be green to be healthy. There is a whole rainbow out there of options that taste good, are good for you and pack well in a lunch.
Model Healthy Eating Habits
Let your kids see you eating a balanced diet at mealtimes. Kids watch us all the time and are learning from our behaviors. If we are chowing down a packaged protein bar and calling it breakfast, our kids will begin to think that’s what a meal is.
One Change at a Time
I always suggest that the women I work with change their eating habits one at a time. Going all in and buying massive quantities of vegetables and expecting to eat them all before they go bad is setting up for failure.
Make a goal each week, such as preparing and packing two vegetables for lunches, and stick to it. Once you do it for a few weeks it becomes like clockwork and packing those veggies in the kids’ lunches is so much easier.
For more information head to JackieVega.com
Grab our 5 day Meal Plan for some great ideas for healthy meals your kids will enjoy.
