Pack Your Kids a Healthy Lunch
You can use a lunchbox or brown bags, to put their lunches in. Let them pick out a lunchbox or if they prefer brown bags. let them decorate them. This can be done with stickers, stamps or markers/crayons.
Now, what should you pack?? First of all, get input from your kids let them help with the preparations. Furthermore, it’s always less stressful if you get the lunch ready the night before.You can pack them left-overs, or if you must pack them sandwiches, use wheat-bread, pita-bread or even tortillas, to make them a yummy wrape.
Healthy deli-meats like turkey or chicken can be used on the sandwiches, plus cheese and put some mustard or ketchup in a little plastic container, so your kids can put it on the sandwich when they get ready to eat it, so it doesn’t get soggy. Furthermore, you can use a cookie cutter to cut the bread into smaller, easier to eat pieces. Pack precut vegetables, like carrots and celery with delicious dipes. Also, you can pack finger fruits like grapes or sliced apples or even watermelon.
You can also whip up a tuna or other vegetable salad. If you pack a home salad, dress it with low-fat dressing. Furthermore, in the winter you can pack them different kinds of kids soups, ravioli or spagettios, but make sure you put them in a thermos.
Plus, you can put granola bars into the lunchbox, but make sure it includes alot of grains and it’s low fat. If your children, like pizza and you have left-over pizza you can pack it but just watch the portions, if it’s veggie pizza it’s even better.
Pretzels, or Smart food popcorn are also another delicious and healthy choice. Pack them yogurt or pudding, and if they insist on taking dessert, like cookies, give them like two or three, not four or five.
What should you pack for a drink? Well, you shouldn’t pack soda. Pack Water, skim milk or healthy fruit juices, watch out for the sugar. In the winter time or even summer you can pack chocolate milk if you really must.
As parent, make sure you keep the foods that are suppose to stay cold, stay cold and the ones that are suppose to stay hot, stay hot. You can do this by freezing the items or by putting them into in a thermos, if they are suppose to stay hot. Wrap them into a plastic bag, so they stay cool and the items won’t get soggy in the process. Furthermore, put some wet wipes into a ziploc bag or wet towelettes into the lunchbox as well, so your kids can clean their hands and face.
Before you prepare your kids next day lunch and put it into their lunchbox, clean it with a clorox solution, so you keep your children healthy and safe. Wipe it out and make sure you dry it out, or even use clorox or lysol disinfecting wipes.
After all is said and done, remember it isn’t going to help you if you pack a lunch and your kid won’t eat it. So, make compromises about items, like if they want to take left-over pizza, put some precut fruit or veggies in it as well, but make sure your kids like it.
