Kids School Lunch
“Cooking with kids is not just about ingredients, recipes and cooking. Its about harnessing imagination, empowerment and creativity.”
It’s the time of year when summer starts winding down and another school year begins. I wanted to help make the transition a little easier with some school lunch ideas. It’s important that we provide our little ones with nourishing meals so they can focus on learning.
Supplies
Omie Box
The OmieBox is insulated and perfect for those cold Colorado days, the thermos feature keeps warmed food warm and cold food cool. It is lightweight, has a handle for easy carrying and they just came out with a silverware accessory. OmieBox is offering 15% off your order with code- (OMIE-185112)
Planet Box
The Planet Box is stainless steel, available in a variety of sizes, many come with containers for dips and they have fun accessories (silverware, carrying bags, water bottles etc.). Planet Box is currently offering 25% off your purchase through September 15th with code (FUELYOURADVENTURE25)
Accessories- sandwich cutters, cookie cutters, silicone food cups, food picks and lunch notes. There are so many ways to get creative, here are a few fun links from Amazon.
Food
Packing lunches doesn't have to be stressful or complicated. I find that mornings run smoother when we have a variety of fruits and vegetables washed and cut up as well as some roasted vegetables. Now I just need to add protein and a dip. This is where utilizing leftovers, quality protein and a few pantry staples comes in handy.
When I am in a lunch packing rut or my daughter is getting bored, I love getting inspiration from Pinterest and a few amazing bloggers (100 Days of Real Food , Weelicious and Celebrating Sweets are just a few of my favorites).
Main Dish
Sandwich, Wrap, Pinwheel, Rollup, Panini
Soup, Chili, Bisque, Chowder
Salad, Pasta Salad
Sushi, Fried Rice, Stir Fry, Lettuce Wrap
Chicken Poppers, Chicken Finger/Nuggets
Tacos/Taco Bowls/Burritos
Homemade Lunchable- Meat/Cheese/Crackers
Breakfast (breakfast burrito, breakfast sandwich, breakfast sausage, eggs/egg muffin/frittata/quiche, waffle/pancake, muffin, yogurt parfait, oatmeal)
Hardboiled Eggs, Egg Salad
Rotisserie Chicken, BBQ Chicken, Buffalo Chicken
Lunchmeat, Tuna Salad, Smoked Salmon
Mini Meatballs, Chicken Poppers
Pasta, Lasagna, Ravioli
Hamburger, Hot Dog
Personal Pizza or Build Your Own Pizza
Veggies
carrot sticks, celery, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, jicama, mini bell peppers, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, peas, edamame, green beans, beets, lettuce, corn, baked potato, roasted broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes
Fruit
fresh fruit, dried fruit, freeze dried, fruit leather, fruit packets- strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, orange, apple, peach, pear, banana, kiwi, pineapple, mango, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, cherry, apricot, avocado, pomegranate,
Dips
hummus, guacamole, salsa, marinara, salad dressing, Greek yogurt, pesto, honey, ketchup, mustard, jelly/jam, nut butters (if allowed)
Tips for "Picky Eaters"
Here are some of my favorite tips for getting your “picky eaters” to try new foods.
1. Get Them Involved- recruit their help when meal planning and grocery shopping. Let them pick out a new fruit or vegetable to try and let them help in the kitchen when preparing the new item.
2. Shapes/Textures- sometimes changing the shape of a fruit or vegetable changes the texture enough to get your little ones interested in taking that first bite. One example would be sweet potatoes; they can be cut into a fry shape, puréed/mashed, baked like a chip, diced, or even spiralized.
3. Make It Fun- this just takes a little creativity; try cutting their food into fun shapes with cookie cutters, or making them the perfect size to dip into their favorite sauce/condiment. We personally love hummus and guacamole!
4. Routine- try structuring snack and meals times to be approximately the same time each day so you don’t have an all day snacker that isn’t hungry when it’s time to sit for a meal.
5. Get Creative- if your little one(s) aren’t embracing new foods you can sneak them in some of their usual favorites. This way they are still getting the vitamins and nutrients as well as being exposed to the flavor. This can easily be done with pasta sauce, soups, smoothies and baked goods like muffins.
6. Consistency is KEY- It may take dozens of exposures before kids are willing to try new foods. Just keep trying- offer them a variety of foods but don’t force, instead, encourage them to try new things and make sure you aren’t discouraging based on your own dislikes.
7. Last but certainly not least, Set An Example- if you are trying new healthy foods your kiddos are more likely to follow suit. Encourage them by talking about the shape, color, smell, texture and taste!