Four Important Tips to Packing a Healthy Lunch For Your Child
Let's face it – packing a lunch isn't always easy. Whether it's for your child or for yourself, it takes planning, effort and time.
As you and your loved ones prepare for back to school, let's discuss the benefits of packing a healthy lunch and help you improve and maintain your child's healthy eating habits.
Remember, when you control the menu, you control the fat, calories and nutrients.
Four Tips to Help You Pack A Healthy Lunch For Your Child Each Day
Make enough dinner for leftovers.
Don't like making sandwiches? Take your healthy dinner leftovers and immediately package them for lunch for the next day. Since you have to store leftovers anyway, put them in portioned containers so you can pack them in your child's things the next day.
Prepare on Sundays.
Feel like you don't have time to pack lunches during the busy week? Do your prep on Sunday. Clean, cut and package vegetables and fruits. Make healthy wraps. Think salads with individually-wrapped ingredients and pre-measured dressing cups that can easily fit your child's lunchbox.
Invest in some good food containers.
Look for containers that are BPA-free and resist food odors. You should also look for containers small enough to fit in your child's lunchbox or backpack but still hold enough for a filling lunch. This will ensure your child is full at lunchtime and less likely to grab something quick and unhealthy.
Stay stocked on healthy lunch staples.
Maybe you normally pack leftovers for your child but sometimes find yourself without any. You can keep nutritious things with relatively long shelf lives at the ready like hard boil eggs. Also, you can stock you your refrigerator with plenty of fruits, vegetables, yogurt and cheese. Packaged raw or roasted nuts (almonds, for example) can add nice protein to your lunches.
Because you're not there to help them make good choices, school lunches are an important time to help you child get into the habit of choosing nutrition over something sweet or unhealthy. Getting into the habit of packing a nutritious lunch for your child is a great step toward ensuring this school year is a healthy one.
