It's time to face the challenge of packing school lunch for our kids. Sometimes this can feel a little bit daunting, am I right? There are a few questions that I ask myself during this time: How can I make my children happy with their meal whilst keeping it not only healthy but eco-friendly?
If this is a problem that also affects you, here are a few tips for back to school lunchbox ideas so that you can breathe better while your child eats happier and healthier.
Get them involved
One of the best ways to get my kid to enjoy a meal, I find, is to have him help not only with the preparation but also with choosing the ingredients. Raising that food conscience is going to very helpful for them as adults too! If you haven't already, this is the perfect opportunity to talk about nutrition, food waste, and plastic waste, too! Keep the conversation going.
Keep them fuller for longer
A balanced lunchbox should have in its base starchy food like bread, rice, sweet potatoes or pasta. That will keep them satisfied for longer and give them the energy they need. Choose wholegrain whenever you can.
Swap the sweets
A great step into creating healthier lunches for your child is to lower the amount of foods high in sugar. Simply swapping crisps, sweets and chocolates for foods like nuts, varied fruits or lower-sugar yoghurt can greatly affect their diet. Our handy little leak-proof pots are perfect for keeping these babies in place.
Presentation is key
We have all heard once that we eat with our eyes. This is specially true with kids! Making the effort to add fun shapes and colours to their meal can be a great incentive for eating and will also make your task of preparing their food less boring.
Sandwich again?!
Anyone else get this from their kids? haha! As easy and practical as the sandwich is, to keep things interesting, try swapping the sandwiches with pasta when you can to add more variety to the kid’s meals.
There are a number ways of preparing pasta for their lunch: In a salad with pesto, with tomato sauce, with other vegetables. Get creative!
Do you have any tips or recipes to share? Let us know in the comments below or reach out via Instagram!
