My kids LOVE their school lunch!
You know how some kids just will NOT eat certain foods? You would think that there is a “DO NOT EAT” or “POISON” sign on them. I am a fan of child bribery to get them to eat (judge me), but once you get to the 5th day of pizza and macaroni and cheese, something’s gotta give.
In the quest to find a way to pack healthy, delicious lunches for my kids that the will, dare I say it, LIKE (insert gasp), I had to step it up just a bit on my end. Here’s what I did to get my kids to eat, and love their lunches:
How to get your kids to love their lunch
Take them grocery shopping – This way, they can pick out the snacks they want, and feel good about eating them. I always require an entree, fruit or veggie, and a snack, so as long as they balance out their choices, they’re all good. Sometimes, they can pick an extra treat at the grocery store for good behavior, and their conduct at school is part of that.
Prep lunch items for the week – Time is always of the essence, so quick and healthy lunch and snack options are necessary. MJ and I put together a bunch of items that we can use to grab and go during the week. Fresh® fruits, veggies, cheeses, crackers, and more are all on the menu. We like to keep other quick items on hand, like Mott’s® Snack & Go Applesauce pouches, a convenient and healthy lunch option for kids.
Have them pack their own each morning – We have already set up everything for the week, now the kids can grab whatever they feel like for the day. They are 6 and 2, and they know to follow the entree/veggie/snack rule for packing their lunch. For the beverage, we have a few individual milks or Mott’s® for Tots juice drink boxes on hand, since they have 40% less sugar than regular Mott’s® apple juice drink boxes, they can choose whichever one they’d like. The 2 year old needs a bit of help, but she enjoys it none the less! You have already put down guidelines by pre-choosing their lunch foods, so why not let them think they have control, when I really do? Sneaky, huh?
Let them choose and pack their own foods, my kids have proven that they are happier about their school lunches when they are able to put it together themselves! When we are out of fresh fruits and vegetables, I like the fact that I can throw in a Mott’s® Snack & Go Applesauce pouch to make up for it. You can even throw them in your purse or the car while on the go, super convenient. Saves me time and my kids love them! Take that, toddler melt down!
How do you get your kids to LOVE their school lunch?
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I seriously have NO idea how we survived before these awesome squeezey pouches! Our whole family eats them! But I especially love having them in my purse for the inevitable toddler melt down – such a better choice than a bag of fishy crackers IMO. I haven’t tried the juice boxes – I like that they have less sugar!