Kids need their meals to energize themselves while in school or while attending online classes. As parents, it is your responsibility to make sure that they eat the right food.
But kids can sometimes be picky, so making it look fun and delicious could sometimes be challenging. Parents should be creative in making their kids' lunches by creating new recipes or making them help you like cutting an apple to equal pieces to enhance their math skills a little bit.
Also, prepare healthy, simple, and tasty lunches by making different food shapes to make it look fun to eat. Make this unconventional school year less stressful by preparing appetizing lunches.
Here are some tips that you must remember in making your kids' lunches simple and yet healthy.
1. Plan lunches ahead of time
Senior pediatric dietitian, Kristi King of Texas Children's Hospital, said that it is important to plan the lunches for the kids as if they are still going to the school's usual set-up. Establishing a sense of normalcy for kids would be helpful.
Additionally, making lunches in advance will spare working parents from being interrupted in their work. Parents should make time to prepare their kids' lunches to have a less stressful week ahead. Like a usual school year, it would also help to purchase new lunch boxes to create some excitement for the kids.
Nutrition experts recommend a bento box with specific portions per food to easily control and separate various foods.
2. Keep it simple
Make lunches simple by targeting at least four items in preparing it: protein, nut or beans, fruit or vegetable, and whole grains, says pediatric dietitian Jill Castle. Also, try to include some dairy products if possible.
Choosing healthy foods from these food groups could help ensure that your kids are getting the nutrition they would need for growth, energy, brain developments, and for their bone and teeth.
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3. Let your kids help in preparing their lunch
Staying at home during lockdowns or quarantine is a great time to teach your kids some life skills, like preparing their own lunch. Kids would feel empowered when they are included in making decisions for their lunch with minimal help from the parents.
Experts also said that children who took an active role in preparing their food are more likely to eat nutritious meals. In that sense, allow your kids to choose or suggest ideas and shop for food.
4. Freeze lunches
Freeze prepared lunches for the week for your kids to avoid getting spoiled. Making a simple lunch could involve this process. Consider making quick bread, waffles, chicken nugget, grilled sandwiches, etc.
Experts suggest making one recipe each weekend and doubling it depending on your kid's preferences. Then, simply take out the premade lunch the night before to defrost and pack it alongside fresh produce like a fruit.
5. Make it fun and appetizing
Be creative in making your kids' lunches by making food faces and using a cookie or sandwich cutters to turn simple food into fun shapes and sizes. Some kids like their food to be colorful, so it is important to be artistic in matching colors and the food without jeopardizing their nutritional value.
It would be nice to create a specific theme for the day to make the lunches look appetizing.
6. Repurpose leftovers
According to food experts, lunch is a great chance to repurpose leftovers from the night before. Eating leftovers would also minimize food waste. Try to come up with fun ideas in turning these leftovers into a spectacular new dish.
READ MORE: Five Easy, Fun Science experiments to do With Kids at Home
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