5 tips for packing lunches kids will love
Tired of having half-eaten lunches sent back home? Try Paul Finkelstein's tips for stress-free lunch packing
By Paul Finkelstein
Sending the kids to school with a lunch they’ll actually eat can be the biggest burden of the school year for parents. If my wife, Amanda, and I are not organized with lots of healthy options on hand, we’re scrambling to get to the local grocery store. I’ve found that planning is the key to stress-free lunch packing; it keeps us from grabbing processed or prepackaged foods out of desperation.
Ask kids to help
They’re the ones eating it, so take their suggestions seriously. Get them preparing their own meals, and include them in shopping for ingredients. It’ll make your job easier, and will lead them in the right nutritional direction. And having them take some ownership will have them proudly eating what they helped pack.
Keep it simple
As a teacher, I know lunchtime is a social time for kids—food is not the focus. Their goal is to eat quickly, then get outside to play. So keep things simple: fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, sandwiches cut into bite sizes. Make it easy to eat; otherwise, you’ll see it left untouched when you empty their lunch bag at home.
Leftovers work, too
Make extra portions of your family dinners; they’re great options for the next day. (Our son, Quinn, 7, loves cold pizza for lunch.) Pasta, chili, stew, stir-fries and soup can be reheated in the morning and packed in a Thermos. Also good is a crisp salad topped with leftover chicken, chickpeas or fish.
Pack protein
This will help keep them going all day. Meat, cheese, eggs, beans and seeds are great options. Our nine-year-old daughter, Lucy, loves a hard-boiled egg in her lunch—whereas Ella enjoys cheese with whole-wheat crackers and fruit (she’s 12 and a tad more sophisticated).
On Sunday, organize your week
A few hours in the kitchen will ease the week’s lunch-packing madness. Fill reusable individual containers with yogurt, vegetables, etc., to keep in the fridge, ready to go. And make healthy homemade squares or cookies to freeze and then pack in lunches throughout the week.
Paul Finkelstein is a chef and teacher at Northwestern Secondary School in Stratford, Ont., where he heads up the culinary arts program. He is a regular contributor to Best Health. Follow him @paulfink.
This article was originally titled "Fink's five" in the October 2011 issue of Best Health. Subscribe today to get the full Best Health experience–and never miss an issue!
Best Health Magazine, October 2011
My 9-year-old will eat fish. And she LOVES chick peas. And she'll eat certain elements of salads. But together in a salad-with-toppings kind of deal? No way, LOL. Different strokes for different pint-size folks, I guess.
I wouldn't pack fish in a school lunch though, as the smell could REALLY gross out some of the more sensitive kids. I know that sounds funny, but it's not. I once brought some canned salmon as a side to my lunch, and one of my colleagues almost threw up. (For real, not to be rude.) Never again--I save it for home!
Both my kids - 1 and 3 - love fish. Salad is still a challenge. The one-year-old does try everything he's exposed to. The three-year-old is getting there. The tip to keep it simple is hugely useful. Thank you.
My little ones have been thought to tried, and if they do not like they are not force to eat it. But at least to give it a try. I have my 6 years old always asking to eat healthy and she rather eats a Salad or a Tuna sandwich then have a fried chicken. or something not healthy.
I encourage healthy eating on them, is for their own good.
I would never want to eat a salad topped with fish and chickpeas! Gross...
My kid would eat a salad with chick peas or fish on it. Both my kids eat pretty much anything. They are 3 and 5 and have been exposed to many, many types of foods and are encouraged to TRY everything. Rule in my house is you don't have to eat it if you don't like it but you DO have to try eveything. Make it fun, an adventure and kids will try anything. Today my son has garlic stuffed olives as part of his lunch. His choice.
Show me a kid that would eat salad with fish or chickpeas on it