One of the most stressful things of a new school year can be getting meals together, especially packing lunches. If you find yourself wanting to give your kids something substantial but are struggling, this article is for you.
While the idea of providing your child a Pinterest-worthy lunch is fun, most of us just need to come up with something to get out the door. The good news is that you don’t have to make it pretty to make it nutritious.
Let’s look at ways to minimize the stress of packing a nutritious lunch.
Avoiding the After School Hangry
Quality fats and proteins will help your child maintain their energy and focus all day. Typical lunch foods are often highly processed (i.e. bread, crackers, chips, cookies, pop, juice boxes, candy, etc.).
Convenience foods may be easy to grab, but the high sugar and carbohydrate levels cause a blood sugar spike. This will result in a sudden blood sugar crash that will leave them feeling rotten.
On the other hand, a lunch with more fat and protein keeps blood sugar even. Your student will be satisfied and engaged all afternoon. You can also pack nutrient-dense snacks if your child doesn’t eat well at lunch or is struggling to get enough calories.
Take a look at some suggestions below.
Entrees
- Nitrate/nitrite-free lunch meat wrapped around slices of avocado (Applegate Farms)
- Breadless sandwiches (15 no-bread sandwich ideas)
- Guacamole with veggies
- Hard-boiled eggs (you can even cook them in the oven)
- Lettuce wraps
- Homemade soup in a thermos (tomato or butternut squash)
- Chicken, tuna, or egg salad (made with homemade mayo or storebought avocado oil mayo)
- Salad (with homemade ranch dressing)
- And don't forget that leftovers are great options
Sides
- Handful of nuts
- Apple or celery with nut butter
- Unsweetened dried fruit
- Energy bars or lara balls
- Homemade muffins (cornbread muffins or banana muffins)
- Good quality cheese (preferably from pastured cows)
- Plain, unsweetened, full-fat yogurt or kefir
- Mashed avocado with bell pepper slices
- Unsweetened applesauce (easy to make in a crockpot)
- Beef jerky (My kids love the Paleovalley brand, or make your own if you have a dehydrator)
- Smoked salmon
- Homemade fruit snacks
- Homemade Elderberry Gummies (or sub a different fruit)
- Coconut bombs
My Kid's Personal Favorites
- PaleoValley Beef Sticks (Maddie loves teriyaki, Piper digs the summer sausage and Harper is all about the original)
- Cherry Tomatoes from our garden preferably
- Cutie Oranges
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Dried Mango or apricot
- Trail Mix (bonus if there are a few chocolate chips mixed in)
- Lara Bars
Tips for Preparation
- Involve your kids in the process by encouraging them to help choose and pack their lunch with you.
- Make a batch of soup, chicken salad, or muffins ahead of time rather than waiting for the night before. (Just freeze the muffins to pull out the night before.)
- Buy precut veggies or cut them ahead of time to take a more time-consuming task out of the morning equation.
New routines take time to establish. Give yourself and your kids grace with this transition. Try preparing ahead to take some stress out of your morning routine. This will help set your kids up for a great day of learning.
Dr. Jamie
P.S. Be sure you didn't miss last week's blog on How to Wear a Backpack.