Healthy Brown Bag Ideas for Kids’ Lunches
Your children’s school lunches have to fuel them all afternoon. Here are some ideas for making that brown bag lunch healthy, without losing the ‘yum’ factor.
1. Think beyond the sandwich. When my youngest child (who is also my pickiest eater) started grade school, he would always bring home his sandwich without ever having taken a bite. My daughters both loved sandwiches of all types, so we tried everything with my son — all kinds of different sandwich fillings, from cheese to turkey, ham, roast beef, peanut butter & jelly; we tried crust and no crust, all to no avail. But when we started simply packing items separately, he started gobbling it all up.
What he ends up with is a pretty healthy lunch, even without the traditional main event of the brown bug lunch: the sandwich. He might take a small reusable container of peanut butter as a dip for apple slices, a slice of cheese, a handful of walnuts, some whole grain crackers and a healthy granola bar, for example.
If your kid – like mine – doesn’t love sandwiches, try cold cuts with crackers (like making your own Lunchables), or try tortilla wraps or pitas. Pack some of last night’s leftovers in a microwavable container. Or pour some hot soup in a Thermos.
2. A mental checklist might be helpful. When you’re packing your kids’ lunches, aim to include at least one protein, one whole grain, one serving of fruit, another of veggie. And one (little) treat.
3. Let them do it themselves. By the older elementary grades, kids can start to pack their own lunches, under your watchful eye, of course. It’s fun to see them engage in the process, and it allows them to make their own healthy choices.
4. Freeze the yogurt. My kids love the single-serving tubes of yogurt. We freeze them and then they have thawed to the perfect temperature by lunchtime.
5. Pack your fruit fresh. Instead of pricey, tiny containers of sliced fruit cocktails or fruit yogurt, pack a small apple, banana, or a bunch of grapes. Clementines are easy to peel and low on seeds, so they are a great alternative to oranges or tangerines.
6. Don’t forget the veggies. If your kids devour veggies when there’s a little Ranch dressing around, look for reusable containers with a spot for your dipping sauce. Then pack raw veggies – some carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, – and let the kids crunch away. Kids tend to love finger foods and they love to dip things – so this is a great way to pack the vegetables.
7. Instead of potato chips or other fried snacky sides, pack some popcorn or Smartfood.
8. From time to time, take your child to the grocery store with you and ask her to pick out healthy options for her lunch. She might know more about the world of healthy snacks and lunches because she sees (and probably shares in) a great deal of variety from her friend’s lunches. You might even find a new favorite for yourself.
On a side note, another way to save money (and a whole lot of waste) is to use washable containers instead of individual plastic baggies whenever possible. There are several innovative and ecofriendly lunch boxes on the market (the Goodbyn, for example) that can help you do away with these baggies altogether by using individual compartments for each part of the meal.
About the Author
Jamie Jefferson writes for the online parenting magazine Momscape as well as Susies-Coupons.com and New Coupons and Deals, where you’ll find the latest online coupon codes, as well as printable grocery coupons.
Reusable Sandwich Bags
|
|
EasyLunchboxes 3-compartment Bento Lunch Box Containers (Set of 4) BPA-Free. Easy-Open Lids (Not Leakproof) $13.95 Save time, money, paper, and plastic when you use EasyLunchboxes. No more wasteful baggies or mismatched plastic containers. Now you can pack lunches fast for work or school. Even make homemade “Lunchables®!” Created by a mom of three, these bento-style, 3-compartment containers are designed to be carried upright in the EasyLunchboxes cooler bag (choose from 7 vibrant colors). Container lids stay… |
|
|
Thermos Stainless King SK3000MBTRI4 Food Jar, Midnight Blue $16.26 STAINLESS KING FOOD JAW WITH SPOON THERMAX(R) DOUBLE WALL VACUUM INSULATION FOR MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RETENTION HOT OR COLDUNBREAKABLE STAINLESS STEEL INTERIOR & EXTERIOREXTRA WIDE MOUTH IS EASY TO FILL SERVE FROM & CLEANCOOL TO THE TOUCH WITH HOT LIQUIDS SWEAT-PROOF WITH COLDCOMPACT & INSULATED STAINLESS STEEL SERVING BOWLFULL-SIZE TELESCOPING STAINLESS STEEL SPOONKEEPS CONTENTS COLD FOR 9 HOURS & … |
|
|
Cuisinart WMR-CA Round Classic Waffle Maker $29.95 Bakes a Large Round Waffle – Separates into 4 triangular sections : Dual Indicator Lights : 5 Browning settings for custom browning control : Weighted Lid will not rise during baking, both sides cook evenly : Exclusive Regulating Thermostat retains constant temperature for optimal results : Stick Free Plates – Waffles remove easily : Easy to clean : AV Power Cord wraps under unit for… |
|
|
Duffel Bag $5.00 … |
|
|
Tha Body Bag [Explicit] $5.99 … |
|
|
Guitars & Grapes $7.92 … |
|
|
Vacuum Bagging & Sandwich Core Construction [VHS] $25.00 The second of this two part series begins with completed molds and is designed for someone ready for advanced skills. In this video, we guide the University of Akron student team through a carbon fiber part layup and vacuum bag a Supermileage Racer shell. You will see the complete process of scheduling, laying up the graphite layers, a carbon/honeycomb sandwich and the vacuum bagging process. T… |
|
|
simplehuman Wall Mount Grocery Bag Holder, Brushed Stainless Steel $8.30 A wall mounted grocery bag holder comes complete with mounting hardware. This stainless steel unit features easy tuck opening and wide dispensing area…. |
|
|
500 CLEAR Reclosable Zipper Bag. 2” x 2” – 2 mil thick $0.01 500 New Resealable Plastic Bags . These high quality reclosable plastic bags allow you to have the bags you use most on hand. The reclosable seals open all the way to the edges of the bags giving you full use of the interior. Each has a 2 mil thickness and measures approximately 2″ x 2″… |
|
|
2 Pack Twist Ties with Cutter Attached to Spool $2.90 Great for trash bags, sandwich bags, holding loose objects together and many more uses…. |
Tags: bags, food, green, sandwich bags, sandwich bags coupon, sandwich bags reusable, sandwich bags santee, sandwich bags size, sewing, shopping