For many parents, making kid's lunches is one of the bigger drawbacks to back-to-school time, adding one more chore to our already busy lives. In a perfect world, we'd have our kids make their own, but there are drawbacks to that as well. For starters, these self-made lunches would likely include lots of fun snacks and very little in the way of nutrition. And the prodding it takes to get them to actually do it often takes longer than just doing it ourselves.
Kids these days are extremely busy as well, and, as parents, it's important to help them keep their gas tanks full, providing nutritional lunches that can boost their energy levels between classes. Here are some easy and healthy go-to lunch ideas for busy parents.
Tricked-Out Sandwiches:
Try tricking your kid's favorite sandwiches through variations in the bread department, using things like pitas, wraps, ciabatta, bagels, crackers, whole-wheat raisin bread, and even whole-grain waffles or French toast. Waffles are not only fun, but they're also perfectly square or round just like a sandwich with a softer and richer flavor. Just add the usual sandwich fillings, and try it on French toast as well to give kiddos extra protein from the egg-dipped bread.
To round out a sandwich, make sure to pack in the vegetables. Layer shredded veggies that are easier for kids to chew, and harder for them to detect.
All-In-One Lunches:
For school-aged kids at lunchtime, not only is their attention span short, but the time allotted for them to eat their meals is as well. That's where the all-in-one meals come into play; it's a good way to make lunches for the whole week (or freeze some for later) and a simple way to pack in some serious nutrition with a fun presentation.
Try meals in muffin tins, like mini-quiches and meatloaf muffins that are easy to freeze and pop into lunch boxes. Check out some creative recipes here.
Delicious Dips:
Kids dig dipping and dunking foods, so why not make a lunch out of it? Dip-based lunches are easy to prepare, fun to consume, and can turn into well-rounded meals in disguise. Try guacamole, vegetable and fruit salsas, hummus, tahini, almond or peanut butter, and bean dips.
As far as the dipping device, whole grain chips and crackers or toasted pita triangles work well, along with vegetable sticks, such as carrot, celery, cucumber, and red pepper.
Thermos Meals:
What better way to sneak in protein, grains, and veggies than to incorporate them into hearty soups and stews? Easy to pack for a to-go lunch, a whole pot goes a long way, and lasts well in the freezer. And because packaging and presentation is just about as important to kids as the contents of the meal, serving soups in a fun, child-chosen thermos makes the meal that much more desirable.
Kid-friendly additions to soup include rice, fun-shaped noodles (such as spirals, alphabets, colored bows, and egg noodles), Israeli couscous, organic chicken, ground beef, and beans.
Other ideas include alphabet soup, mild chili, and old-fashioned chicken noodle or chicken and stars soup.
For any questions, call or contact Robins Insurance today.