5 Ways to Improve Kids’ Lunch
Healthy lunch is crucial for your kids. Free Pic by jfelias via morguefile.com
Do you find yourself stuck in a rut, repeatedly packing the same nutrient deficient lunch for your child day in and day out? Do you abandon attempts to make healthier lunches when your child refuses to eat them? Fortunately, there are alternatives to the sugar and starch based meals kids tend to prefer. Following are five ways to improve your child’s lunch so that it is nutritious, budget-friendly, and appealing to even the pickiest eater.
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1. Use Lots of Color
One way to include healthy foods in your child’s lunch without losing their interest is by providing fresh fruits and vegetables in bright colors. Bright foods distract your child from how healthy they are, and indicate the presence of key vitamins and antioxidants. Following is a short list of colors and the nutrients they contain.
- Red fruits and vegetables such as watermelon and tomatoes contain lycopene.
- Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables such as bananas and carrots contain beta-carotene, lycopene, and vitamin C.
- Green fruits and vegetables such as melon or green beans contain calcium, folate, and vitamin C.
- Blue and purple fruits and vegetables such as blueberries or eggplant contain fiber, lutein, and vitamin C.
2. Choose Healthier Versions Of Foods Your Child Enjoys
If your child enjoys peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, replace white bread with whole grain. Become a label reader and select spreads that are low in sugar. Instead of purchasing packaged items packed with preservatives, make your own. Here are several healthier alternatives to popular lunch items:
- A single homemade cookie in place of packaged cookies.
- Slices of cooked chicken breast in place of processed meats.
- Baked tortilla chips in place of potato chips.
- Water in place of juice.
- Raisins in place of processed fruit snacks.
3. Reduce Costs
Eating healthier doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money. Avoiding packaged foods also avoids paying for that packaging. Spend an hour of your weekend chopping vegetables or making your own packages of food, and you will reap the benefits of healthy, convenient food all week long. Here are a few more ways to reduce the cost of your child’s lunch.
- Buy in bulk. If you have enough storage, you can save big by buying staples in bulk.
- Keep it simple. Children prefer simple flavors. Choose simple, inexpensive items such as rice, beans, or pasta, and use these as the basis of a healthy lunch.
- Use coupons. The internet is a virtual goldmine of money saving coupons you can use to save money on healthy food items.
4. Include Your Children in Meal Planning
Kids love being involved and helping make decisions that affect their daily lives. Getting your child involved in meal planning does not mean letting them run free in the grocery store. Here are a few ways you can involve them while directing them towards healthy choices.
- Allow your child to select from a few healthy alternatives of your choosing.
- Have conversations about what is and what isn’t healthy for their bodies.
- Allow your child to touch fresh foods and explore them in the grocery store.
- Engage them in age-appropriate conversation regarding the different characteristics of foods they may choose from.
- Label index cards with your child’s favorite healthy meals and make a game of picking cards to decide the week’s meal plan.
5. Use Appealing Packaging
Exciting packaging works for the snack companies, it can also work for you. Here are some creative ways to add that entertainment factor to your child’s lunch.
- Cut sandwiches into fun shapes.
- Create landscapes with food, using broccoli for trees and a small amount of dressing for a river.
- Let your child choose their lunch box and the type of containers they want their meals packed in.
- Sneak surprises into their lunch box.
- Make small cups or pouches out of colorful paper and use them to hold dry snacks.
If you are tired of packing the same old foods in your child’s lunch, it is time to step out of that rut. Feed your child healthier meals and save money at the same time by following these simple tips. Your family will be on the road to healthier, happier lunches in no time.
