Healthy Lunches for Kids Who Want to be Cool in SchoolSometimes, we as parents rack our brains out while thinking of cooking healthy for kids. I think it is safe to assume that we want them to eat healthy and well-balanced, but at the same time we don’t want them to be labeled as dorks or become bully bait at school. Plus, now you aren’t with them 24/7 to monitor what they eat. Your child may notice and be possibly envious of what other kids around him are having for lunch. Now it is your responsibility to give them the opportunity to eat sensibly and with pride as to what you let them have for lunch. Here are a couple of tips to help guide you and your child in the right lunch path: 1. Talk to your child about his lunch. If he’s just now having lunch at school, then it’s important that you discuss with him possible lunches that he will like and have for at least the first few months. For now, this is no time for experiments; let your child feel at ease with the concept of having lunch without you and not in the comforts of home. You can help him decide on what his lunch will be by having a daily menu that both of you can stick to for about a month or so. When he is comfortable in having lunches with his friends, then you can let your creative streak run free again. You can surprise him at times, but of course, let him know that you’re doing something to his lunch and make sure that he becomes pleasantly surprised, not shocked. 2. Your child’s lunchbox. Let your child pick out his lunchbox, but make sure that you label it well. Buy an insulated box to keep his food fresh, as some schools don’t provide fridges. You can buy colorful containers for him to use, but only with his consent. Remember that he is the one going to school, not you. So his likes come first. This will also ensure that he will be able to eat his lunch with pride, and not with embarrassment. 3. Variety in lunch food. Have you ever seen a Japanese bento box? It is usually subdivided into parts with a variety of foods in it. You can try making one for your child so that he doesn’t get bored with his food (and to make sure that he can still eat some, if not all of it). Fill up small containers or subdivide a big container into several sections. Suggested foods are the following: fresh fruit (either cut up into small, bite-sized pieces or a whole fruit to munch into), celery sticks with cream cheese or dip, yogurt, nuts, dried fruit, hard boiled egg, cheese cubes, pretzels, a trail mix, or bread-meat mix with cream cheese and asparagus or cucumbers in the middle, etc. The possibilities are endless – and the outcome is usually gratifying for you and your child. Remember that the lunchbox is also a tool to get your child to eat well. Once you’ve established that fact, then it will be easier for both you and your child to fill it up with healthy goodies for your child’s welfare. |
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How To Get Your Kids To Eat Healthy Food - Without A Fight!
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