Back to School: Nutritious Lunch Ideas for Kids

Packing healthy school lunches can be challenging due to lack of time, your child’s food preferences and habitual patterns that often drive decision-making. For example, you may be in the habit of buying single-serving bags of chips and tossing them into the lunchbox. After all, it satisfies your kid’s cravings and makes your morning routine a bit easier—no decisions and no prep. One of the keys to packing a healthier lunchbox—or making any behavior change—is to keep things simple. Read on for strategies and suggestions.

Three Tips for Lunch Sack Success

Work together. 
Healthy habits start at home, so build a strong foundation. Knowing that your other family members are all on the same page strengthens the collective effort. Social support is a major factor when it comes to implementing healthy behaviors. Pack lunches with the whole family for the whole family. 

Create options. 
Pick a few different healthy foods to replace the less nutritious ones (examples are below). Everybody likes to feel in control. Keep it simple with two choices. Set guidelines and boundaries, and then let everyone make the choice that’s most appealing to them. 

Brainstorm meal ideas together over the weekend for the week to come. Ask kids for their input. Find out what they like and why. It’ll keep them more connected to the mission and teach them about healthful eating. Make a game out of it by including various colors with fruits and vegetables. Include food from each group—grains, dairy, fruits, vegetables and protein. Then, go shopping together. Make it a routine, a ritual, a habit. Make it a priority. 

Gradual change is more sustainable. 
To increase the chances of healthy habits sticking around, don’t revamp lunchtime all at once. Replace one lunch box item at a time, week by week, and reevaluate periodically. Slow, consistent change is more successful than abrupt menu alterations. Set a focus for each week and switch up the “healthy” part of the lunch. One week it can be the main item, another the snack and the week after, the beverage.