Getting ready for school lunches and snacks

If you read my lunch post you’ll see that I am not the most creative with lunches, we typically have the same rotation week after week.  They like what they like, and what they like is healthy, but it would be nice to have many many options when the lunch hour hits. (Note: read the lunch post comments, there are some awesome ideas shared!)

I can’t imagine how hard it is to send a full lunch with your child to school.  I have only ever had to send a snack (and this year will be no different) but sending 2 snacks and a balanced lunch (that won’t come home uneaten) might be a challenge.

There are a few things I’ve learned though delivering lunches to these two day after day, travelling and packing lunches for on the go and trying not to go insane.

• Sending a variety of food to pick at is an option.  We typically see lunch as a main part, side of veggies or fruit, and a drink.  What often works best for us is bento style – some pita, some dip, some cheese, some fruit, some veggies.  This gives my son the chance to pick and fill up on healthy items, but all stuff he likes.
• Buy containers that are easy to pack this style.  If you buy divided containers, you can pack a variety of items without sending 5 different containers. 
• As much as possible, avoid the package stuff.  Ever look at the ingredients on the Dunkaroos?  If you can, make mini-muffins (I have easy recipes for Blueberry/oatmeal , Strawberry and Banana chocolate chip), banana bread or oatmeal squares. 
• Peanuts are typically banned at school which eliminates peanut butter sandwiches.  And lunch meats are typically full of junk, sodium and other unwanted ingredients.  This leaves the need for protein alternatives.  A few that work for us:
  • Baked beans.  Can be served cold or warm (send in a Thermos container)
  • Eggs.  Egg salad sandwiches, or boiled eggs chopped.
  • Salmon/Tuna. In a sandwich is my son’s preference.
  • Chicken. Again, in a sandwich (use whole grain if possible!) or just as pieces to go along with the bento selection.
  • Hummus dip.
• I also try to send things that he can open easily or that arent’ super messy.  A yogurt or applesauce he can open himself now, and I try to find him containers that her can open.  Like the Lunchbot or these Kinderville jars.

Some days it’s all a roll of the dice to see what they will eat.  I know lots of people will send wraps as a lunch, but my son prefers sandwiches over wraps (though he loves eating pita in dip). 

One of the things I’ve discovered is that if I involve him, he is more likely to want to eat it without argument.  This usually means I ask him a choice for snack/lunch.  For example “Do you want applesauce and crackers for snack, or yogurt and blueberries?”.  His choices remain healthy, but he feels like he has some control over what he eats. 

The other thing? Usually on a Friday I would send a surprise. Maybe a homemade cookie or something as a special treat.  That way when he opened his snack, he’d get pretty excited.