This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
We’ve made it through the first months of the school year and I feels like everyone has finally settled into the routine again. Cami thrives in a school setting so she was ready to get back to school life. Hendrix, who is in PreK, is already counting down the days until he gets to go to “big school” next year. Although I really love that the kids are back to school there is always one element about it that I find to be a total drag. School lunch. Cami loves for me to make her lunch, but around mid-year I lose steam and she ends up eating the same PB&J on repeat. This year I am committing to doing better when it comes to school lunches and here are the 5 lunch elements I am sticking with to keep it interesting.
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1. The Star Of The Lunch
I am learning this year that switching up the main portion of the lunch box doesn’t have to be the same thing over and over. Cami is a picky eater but I have found that if I work with what she DOES like, her lunch box is returned each afternoon empty. For the “star” of the lunch a few ideas are: Rolled up deli meat with string cheese, a sandwich cut in half, crackers with peanut butter (or any kind of nut butter/spread), and mini cheese quesadillas.
2. A Fruit
The next item I make sure to keep in her lunch is fruit. I try to keep it to what’s in season and what can be cut down into smaller sizes. Sometimes I add a little variety and incorporate dried fruit (Cami only likes dried plantains and bananas, but I’ll take it!) Some Fruit ideas are: cubed watermelon, grapes, halved strawberries, cut up cantelope or melon, and apple slices. In Cami’s lunch box there is an area where I am able to put in dips and sauces. This year I have included a little peanut butter or caramel dip if she is having sliced apples.
3. A Vegetable
This could seem tough to think of when it comes to elementary kids. Fortunately Cami likes 2 vegetables so I am just going with it and trying to spice it up where I can. I make sure to cut the veggies into smaller pieces to fit within the confines of her lunch box. Vegetable ideas are: celery, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and edamame. Putting ranch or veggie dip in the sauce area of her lunch box really helps to ensure she eats her veggies!
4. Something With A Crunch
Cami loves crunchy foods so I make sure to keep one thing in her lunch where she can get her crunch on! Some crunchy things I have included are: veggie straws, dried plantains, pop corn, pretzels, chips, and gold fish.
5. Something Sweet
Perhaps the most anticipated part of Cami’s lunch is her “something sweet”. I like that her lunch box has everything in compartments so it’s just enough of each thing. This helps me not go overboard with the sweets. Sweet item ideas are: animal crackers, chocolate covered almonds, marshmallows, oreos, a candy or two (especially around holidays like Halloween and Valentine’s Day), yogurt covered pretzels, and fruit snacks.
Keeping things interesting for your kid’s lunch this year doesn’t have to be boring! By sticking to these 5 elements you can actually have a little fun picking out something different for each category.
