School Lunch Ideas
School lunch, as funny as it may sound, is a very important part of your child's day. Lunchtime is important because your child most likely works very hard in the morning, and by lunchtime is usually famished and ready for a good meal. What your child eats for lunch is as equally important as what they eat for breakfast because they use that food as energy to help them complete the rest of their school day.
As parents, it is important to send your children with healthy school lunches that they will eat and enjoy. The problem for parents becomes what to send in your child's lunch. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are good, but children may get bored with that week after week. We have a few fun, healthy alternatives to the pb and j that will get your child excited and anxious for lunchtime.
Pita Sandwiches: Pita bread is a fun alternative to regular bread. Pita bread is hearty and made from whole grains, which will fill up your child better than regular bread. Be creative with what you actually put in the pita sandwich - the possibilities are endless! Turkey, cheese, mayonnaise, and lettuce are a great choice. A pita BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato) is also a winner. Or, simply let your child decide what he/she would like in the pita sandwich.
Dinner left-overs: This is a great choice for parents who have limited time in the mornings. By making something for dinner that your child enjoys, such as pizza, macaroni and cheese, chicken and rice, etc., he/she will have a nice, healthy lunch the next day as well. It also helps with time constraints in the morning to simply pack last night's dinner. Most schools have microwaves, which are accessible to students in case re-heating is required.
Pre-made lunches: Grocery stores offer many healthy lunchtime meals. "Lunchables", for example, is a healthy pre-made lunch consisting of cheese, crackers, lunchmeat, juice, and even a small dessert. These are also good to have on hand for those mornings when there is simply no time to prepare a healthy lunch. By sending something like a lunchable and an apple or banana, your child has a complete meal in minutes. The only downside with pre-made lunches is that they are a bit costly. An average sized lunchable ranges from $4.00-6.00 dollars apiece - this can add up considerably. However, sometimes it is worth it to pay for the convenience of the meal.
The most important things to ask yourself when packing your child's lunch is
- a) is it healthy?
- b) will they eat it?
- c) will they get enough?
Consider these questions when packing your child's lunch and most likely it will be a success.
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