3 Ideas for Delicious and Nutritious Lunches for Your Child

During the pandemic, most schools have asked families to make their own lunches for their children. If you’ve been making the same old lunches every week, then it’s time to spice things up a bit! Below are three ways to pump up the fun and the nutrition the next time you pack your child’s lunch.

1. Make Nutritious, Colorful Meals

To encourage healthy eating, follow the guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate program. Foods full of color, which are mainly fruits and vegetables, are good for your health. Craft your child’s lunch based on a favorite color, or choose one thing from each category to create a food rainbow. Below are a few recipes to get you started. You can find other recipes from MyPlate Kitchen and SuperKids Nutrition Recipes.

• Red:
  • Main Course: 10-Minute Tomato Soup  
  • Side: Easy Meatloaf Muffins
  • Dessert: Strawberry Oatmeal Bar
• Orange:

• • Main Course: Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers
  • Side: Baked Sweet Potato Chips
  • Dessert: Pumpkin Bars

•  Yellow:
  • Main Course: Chicken Corn Chowder
  • Side: Corn on the Cob
  • Dessert: Banana Muffins
• Green:

• • Main Course: Broccoli Mac ‘n’ Cheese
  • Side: Green Pea Snack Crisps
  • Dessert: Green Fruit Salad

2. Share Books That Encourage Healthy Eating

Think about some of your child’s favorite books, or, for older kids, books that they used to love when they were younger. Many classic books include descriptions of food. For younger children, you can read the book to them the night before and then tell them to get excited for a literature-themed lunch the next day. For older kids, snap a picture of the book’s cover and text it to them or challenge your child to guess what book inspired that day’s lunch. Here are a few books that lend themselves to lunchtime fare:

• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss - If this was one of the first food-related books that came to mind, but you weren’t sure how to pack eggs for lunch, then consider your problem solved. Try these Green Eggs and Ham Mini Frittatas from Jamie Sanders. The secret ingredient that adds bright color and a dose of veggies? It’s spinach!
• Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin - Head south of the border and pack your kids a Make Your Own Taco Kit complete with whole wheat tortillas, brown rice, beans, shredded cheese, and, in honor of the dragons, don’t forget the salsa!
• The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog by Mo Willems - A hilarious pigeon is joined by an adorable duckling who wants nothing more than to taste the hot dog that the pigeon found. Before you give hot dogs the cold shoulder, check out this blog from Food Network about ways you can make hot dogs a healthier option.
• Everybody Cooks Rice by Nora Dooley - As Carrie is looking for her little brother, she discovers how rice is prepared by all of the different households she visits. Recipes are provided.

Travel the Globe through Food

Encourage children to expand their palates by offering them food from many different cultures. In many countries, rice is the main part of their diet. In this PBS article, you will find three kid-friendly recipes to make rice. Check out this blog from Every Mom for 15 international cuisine ideas that will appeal to kids. Fair warning: these are so delicious you’ll want to pack them in your own lunchbox, too!

If these ideas got you excited, check out this blog from Momtastic for 9 more ways to make school lunches more interesting and support healthy kids. Remember, it is essential to start your child's day properly with well-balanced snacks and meals. A good diet is a prerequisite for good growth and optimum learning. At Sanford, our Physical Education & Health instructors incorporate healthy eating into our Physical Education & Health curriculum in the Lower, Middle, and Upper School.