Nutrition expert on how 'junk food' school lunches harm children's health
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Packing school lunches that your children are actually going to eat can be an uphill battle, especially if they're picky eaters.
When it comes to making lunch for school, it, of course, should be a well-balanced meal, including a grain, protein, vegetables and fruit.
In order for kids to actually eat it, it needs to be tasty — but also intriguing. Unique value can be added by keeping it fun with accessories and switching the meal up often.
A little creativity can go a long way.
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If you've ever opened up your children's lunchboxes when they get home from school and observed that just a small bite was taken out of their sandwich, this guide is for you. You can mix up the main dishes with a variety of sides for a fun lunch for your child.
It takes a little creativity to get kids excited about eating well. (iStock)
Main dish ideas
The classic sandwich, with a twist
A sandwich is a lunch staple, but it can be quite boring for a child. Luckily, there are easy ways to put a unique touch on the classic lunch.
One way you can do this is with a cookie cutter. Cutting sandwiches into different shapes can add intriguing value for kids.
Your shapes can resemble the season. For example, around Valentine's Day, you can cut sandwiches into hearts.
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For Easter, a bunny or egg is festive. This is a very easy way to make sandwiches more interesting.
Another thing you can do is create deli roll ups. For this, exchange sandwich bread for a tortilla. Add a little bit of mayo, lettuce and lunch meat of choice on top of the tortilla and roll it up. You can cut the wrap in half, or into smaller pieces, so it resembles a sushi roll.
It is important to include fruits and vegetables in your child's lunch. (Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)
The taco bar
Creating a taco lunch for your little one can be fun for them to put together and is a healthy meal they can enjoy.
For this, all you need to do is give them a couple of mini soft tortillas. Then, put the toppings, meat, cheese, tomato, onions and whatever else they like in separate sections. You can also add a scoop of guacamole, sour cream and salsa for them to add on if they'd like. Make sure to add a fruit as a side to this dish.
Homemade lunchable
Lunchables are very popular among school-aged kids. While they are tasty, they can get expensive, and there are healthier alternatives you can make right at home.
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One of the most popular lunchables is the crackers, cheese and meat combination. Make your own version with those ingredients, and then slice up a fruit or a vegetable to make it more well-balanced.
Breakfast for lunch
Breakfast for lunch is a fun meal that your kids probably aren't used to getting. This could be mini pancakes with syrup on the side and plenty of fruit to put on top. You can also add peanut butter on the side for them to spread on top of the pancake.
Breakfast for lunch can be a unique meal for kids. Make it healthier by topping it with fruit. (iStock)
You could pair this with a hard-boiled egg and fruit.
Hummus platter
For a hummus platter, you'll need hummus, of course, with an arrangement of snacks your kids can eat with a healthy dip. This could include pita bread, carrots and cucumbers.
Sides
There are so many healthy sides you can add to your child's lunch to make it a more balanced meal.
Fruit is a great side to include. If you have a larger fruit like a melon or pineapple, you can use cookie cutters to cut them into fun shapes.
Ants on a log are another fun side. To do this, you'll want to cut a piece of celery in half and then spread a good amount of peanut butter on top.
Add a few raisins, and you have a go-to snack ready to go.
Babybel cheese is a fun snack for kids, as well as a meat, cheese and fruit kabobs, which are made by simply sliding each ingredient onto a small skewer.
Cut fruit, like pineapple, into shapes to entice kids to eat it during lunchtime. (iStock)
Trail mix is another quick and easy snack to add extra nutrients.
Fun gear
To add even additional excitement to your child's lunch, you can get silicone lunch dividers to easily separate foods from one another.
Certain options come with animal food picks that you can place into food items for even more fun.
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You can get a pack of dividers, with animal picks included, for just $10 on Amazon.
Fun utensils can also add excitement to lunchtime, as well as a loving, handwritten note from home.
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