It is very crucial to always ensure you have packed healthy lunch for your kid or kids. Remember, kids are always active, and you need to make sure they are eating healthy all the time to substitute this energy. Healthy eating helps in better learning and concentration. However, packing healthy food is not always easy for some parents. There are many choices to choose from, and you can ask your kid to help you. The best thing is to start by encouraging your kids to eat certain foods even if they don’t like them. Here are important things to put in the lunch boxes for healthy eating.
- Vegetables
Vegetables are very important for the body. However, most kids tend not to like vegetables in their meals. When packing them, ensure you are creative. Mix vegetables like carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and capsicum. You can make chips or crisps to encourage them to eat.
- Fruits
Your kid’s lunch box must also have fruits. So, make sure you pack either canned or fresh fruits. It is advisable to avoid dried bars and sticky ones. These are high in sugar and not best for kids. Furthermore, the sugar sticks on their teeth, and this causes decay over time.
- Bread Varieties
There are numerous bread varieties you can pack for the kid. If your young one does not love sandwiches, look for other better substitutes. For instance, you can pack flatbreads, scones, or hot dogs. However, if you will be packing hot dogs frequently, you might need to have a hot dog machine.
- Yogurt, Milk
Your kid needs the proteins. So, ensure you always pack some milk or yogurt in their box. You can freeze the milk for the night then wrap it in a small cloth when packing. It is also recommended you always choose fruit yogurts for the kid. Avoid dairy desserts since their level of sugar is a bit higher than recommended for kids.
- Cakes or Muffins
Cakes and muffins are also great choices to include in the lunch box. You can always make them at home or buy them from the best bakery. Buy those with additions like carrots, bananas, pumpkin, and more. If you are packing for an occasion like a birthday party, you can always choose creamy cakes or donuts.
- Cereal Bars
Not all bars are high in sugar. Cereal bars are another good option with a reasonable amount of sugar. Pack them and avoid chocolate and muesli bars.
- Fillings
There is a wide variety of fillings you can pack. Fillings range from tuna to eggs, peanuts, avocados, grated carrots, roast meat, baked beans, among others. You can always accompany these with simple dips and spreads like yogurt, eggplants, spinach, cucumber, and others. Avoid spreads like honey, chocolate, and jam.
- Final Thoughts!
Packing a kid’s lunch can be rather hectic since you want everything to be healthy and what they will love. Make sure you always pack it healthy in various ways. Whatever you pack, always make sure the lunch box has fruits and vegetables. Some of the foods like bread and sandwiches can be prepared overnight and frozen to keep them fresh.
