No More Leftovers: 6 Simple Tips to Pack Lunches Your Child Will Actually Eat
As a dietitian at the Center for Better Health and Nutrition, I often hear from parents who spend time and energy packing lunches, only to see most of it come back untouched. Frustrating, right?
The good news: with a few simple strategies, you can pack a healthy lunch your child will actually eat without spending hours preparing it. Here are six tips to make it happen:
6 Tips for Packing a Healthy Lunch Your Children Will Actually Eat
1. Make it fun
Children are much more likely to eat their food if it feels fun. That doesn’t mean spending hours scrolling Pinterest; it can be simple.
Try cutting sandwiches into fun shapes with cookie cutters, tucking in a quick encouraging note, or adding a dip. Most children love dipping, so carrots with hummus or apple slices with yogurt can make lunch more exciting.
2. Add a little variety
Children enjoy variety and presentation just as much as adults. A bento box can hold colorful foods in one neat container while also keeping portions balanced.
You can also make your own “lunchables” with whole-grain crackers, lean turkey, cheese squares, fruit, and vegetables. Switching up the bread helps keep sandwiches interesting, too. Use wraps, pitas, mini bagels, or even lettuce leaves for a fresh take.
3. Involve your children
When children help with the process, they’re far more invested in eating the final result. Let them choose their own lunchbox, bring them along to the grocery store to pick out healthy options, and give them small jobs when packing.
Even little ones can put fruit into containers, while older children can help assemble sandwiches or wraps.
4. Make it nutritious
Aim to pack foods from at least three food groups: a protein such as lean lunch meat, peanut butter, yogurt, beans, or reduced-fat cheese; a fruit or vegetable (or both); and a whole grain like bread, wraps, crackers, cereal, or popcorn.
Stick with water or milk instead of sugary drinks, and keep chips or sweets as occasional treats rather than daily staples.
5. Make it easier on yourself
Packing healthy lunches doesn’t have to take all night. Preparing food in advance saves time. You can freeze yogurt tubes or smoothies so they thaw by lunch, make sandwiches or wraps ahead of time without condiments, and even batch-freeze simple fillings like peanut butter sandwiches.
Pre-portioning snacks such as carrots, grapes, cheese cubes, or cereal on Sunday sets you up for the week. Leftovers from dinner, like pasta salad or grilled chicken, can easily become the next day’s lunch.
6. Keep it safe
Finally, don’t forget food safety. Use an insulated bag and a freezer pack to keep lunches cool. If refrigeration isn’t an option, go for more shelf-stable items like applesauce cups, raw veggies, fruit, peanut butter, whole grain crackers, or cereal bars. And remember to wipe down lunch bags every day.
Conclusion
Keeping children nourished supports both health and academic success. Involve them in meal planning and preparation; it builds lifelong healthy eating habits and takes some pressure off you.
