Tips for Getting Kids to Eat a Healthy Packed Lunch for School
#1 The Cookie Cutter Routine
Who wants to eat a boring, old sandwich with the crusts? Not kids, that’s for sure. Turn that mediocre sandwich into a bunny, heart or little sandwich man with help from a fun-shaped cookie cutter. You can also use smaller cookie cutters and get creative with fruit and cheese snacks!
#2 Colours of the Week
It’s no secret that kids love eating colourful food – so why not get creative and make their lunch with every item in the same colour? The week will start to resemble a rainbow, with a different coloured lunch everyday. For example, a red lunch could contain strawberries, watermelon and red grapes. This is super easy and will make lunchtime at school much more interesting.
#3 Birthday Lunch
Did you know that presents aren’t the only things you can gift-wrap? Whether it’s your child’s birthday or there is a special holiday coming up, make their day extra special by wrapping all the items in their lunch box with wrapping paper (just make sure they can’t choke on anything)!
#4 Fun Dip Lunches
Experimenting with different combinations is a great way for your child to test their taste buds and discover new flavours. With this in mind, pack their lunch with various dips, such as peanut butter or yoghurt, along with some fruit or healthy snacks. Who said school lunch had to be boring?
#5 Funny Food Faces
If you don’t have enough time to rustle up anything elaborate, why not make some funny faces out of stickers to put on the cling wrap? It’s a simple, no-fuss way of making school lunches fun and is sure to make your kids giggle.
#6 Switch Sandwiches for Skewers
Shake up school lunches by making skewers instead of your everyday vegemite sandwich. You can put almost anything on a skewer, whether it be fruit, vegetables, cheese or deli meats. For the younger ones, switch skewers with popsicle sticks or mini straws.
#7 Lunch Box Love Notes
A little note from someone you love can really brighten up your day. Whether it’s a compliment or a funny joke, they’ll be sure to make your kids happier when it comes to eating lunch. You can make up ones yourself or find some on the Internet to print off. They are also a great way for helping younger kids who are learning to read.
#8 Home Snack Station
This is a great tip to help solve the pesky problem of having the same lunch every single day. Make up separate snack stations full of tasty dry and perishable snacks (such as a fruit station, bread station, etc). Get your kids to choose what they want when packing their school lunches. Make sure you don’t have too many options and limit the number to one snack per station.
#9 Tuckshop Lunch
Give yourself a break from making lunches once in a while and have the kids enjoy a school lunch from the tuckshop. With so many reasonably priced options for your kids to choose from, it’s a super easy and convenient way to get your kids to eat lunch.
#10 Get The Kids Involved
Research has shown kids are 5 times more likely to eat food if they are involved in the preparation process. Stick an easy-to-follow note on the fridge, listing all the things that should go in their school lunch. Make sure you help them with trickier tasks (like cutting sandwiches).
