We all stress sometimes about making our kids' school lunches. "How can we get them to eat their fruits and vegetables?" "What if they don't have enough time to eat their lunch?" "What if they don't eat their lunch at all?" "Will they starve?"
I always breathe a sigh of relief on Wednesdays - Pizza Day at school - when I don't have to pack a lunch for my kids. Even though it's not the healthiest meal, it gives me peace of mind knowing that they'll eat their pizza and drink their milk (from the school's milk program!) and that they'll enjoy it.
Because the task of making school lunches can be somewhat daunting, here are some ideas to help keep the lunch-making stress to a minimum:
- Get your kids to help pack their own lunches. This way, they can choose what goes into their lunches, ensuring greater success that they'll actually eat it. Getting the kids to help also teaches them responsibility (and lessens your workload!).
- Make extra food for dinner that can be packed for your kids' lunches. If it's a dinner they love, they just might love eating it the next day too!
- Pack foods you know your kid will eat instead of foods you wish they would eat.
- Carve out time to pack school lunches. Whether it's at night or in the morning, make sure you have enough time to pack lunches so you're not rushing around. I like packing my kids' lunches first thing in the morning while they're eating breakfast, so I'm not rushing to finish packing them as we're running out the door.
- Just stop worrying! If they don't eat their lunch, it's not going to hurt them. They might just eat a bigger dinner that day!
And to make your kids' lunches extra fun, check out these cute printable lunch cards.
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