Ah, the kid’s packed lunch. The embodiment of leading a horse to water. We can provide our kids with healthy food, but do they eat it when we’re not looking? That’s the question whose answer tells whether our good training is actually sticking. Either way, we keep at it.
Not My Job
This year I had an epiphany that is very late in coming: I don’t pack my kids’ lunches anymore. They do. My kids range in age from 5 to 10, and are fully capable of doing this. They pack it the night before.
Advantages to a Kid-Packed Lunch–
Saves me time.
They learn to pack a healthy lunch.
They decide what to take (to a certain extent) and can’t complain.
I am not a short order cook. (“I want a cheese sandwich with the cheese on the side.” “I want my apple in wedges, not in slices.” “I want crushed ice in my water bottle, with one cube.”)
Why do for kids what they can do for themselves?
The Chart
Now mind you, kid-packed-lunches are not a free-for-all. I made up this handy-dandy guideline chart, and I inspect the lunch after it’s packed. This particular chart is vegetarian in the whole theme of Meatless Monday.
Click here to download this chart.
The idea here is healthy, but kid-friendly. My family isn’t vegetarian and so I have turkey and ham sandwich options as well. I’ve laminated mine and circle with a dry erase marker the items we actually have and then also write in extra options we happen to have.
Other Green Considerations
Non-disposable containers (love the bento boxes) or insulated Thermos food jars are a must. If we went disposable, we’d use around 2700 plastic baggies and 540 drink boxes/pouches/bottles and paper sacks in one school year. That’s a lot of trash!
Reusable water bottles. And I send water. Maybe with ice. We’re not fancy.
Good sturdy lunch boxes. These are from L.L. Bean. Two of these are 3 years old.
A 3-point rant against school lunches:
They’re expensive. $2.50/day or $1350/year for my three. My homemade, mostly organic lunches cost less than $1/day.
They’re unhealthy. A fruit or veggie notwithstanding, the “main dish” is still highly processed and unnutritious.
They’re time-consuming. Standing in line cuts available eating time in half. I have slow eaters. They’d starve.
Customize It
Download the chart and then customize it and leave white space to write in extra items on hand. Here are some other ideas to add to your own chart:
Granola (homemade?) – with or without milk
Veggie Wrap
Egg Salad
Chicken Salad
Salmon Salad
Broccoli, blanched – my little one has a tough time with raw
Fresh or Frozen peas and corn – my kids prefer them frozen (weird, I know)
Fresh or Frozen mango or pineapple – (see above)
Grapes
Peaches
Plums
Clementines
Melons – although the juice can soggify other lunch items
In the Thermos:
Oatmeal (why not?)
Stew
Chili
Rice & Beans
Baked Beans (homemade?)
Rice & Curry
Now I’m getting hungry! When’s lunch?
Happy to hear that you not only have your kids pack their own lunch but they actually bring their lunch to school. I read about so many parents complaining that the lunches their school serves are junk food and the school has no intention of changing the menu. If these parents sent their kids to school with a lunch from home, maybe the schools would pay attention. If my son was still a kid, he would be bring lunch from home. I also taught him to cook when he was tall enough to reach the stove and counter. His girlfriends are happy about that. The only way to teach kids about healthy food is to have them help prepare it and if possible, grow it in a garden.
I noticed Tofu Stir-fry on the list and was surprised that you still consider soy a quality food for children ? Especially considering its estrogenic effects?
Alot of new information out there indicating soy, as one of the 3 main agricultural govenment supported crops (wheat, soy, corn) is mostly GMO and besides that not even good digestible nutrition for the human body, and its appearance as a “health food” in the 70s was more marketing than anything else.
I’m glad this is resonating!
Karen – The Peanut Butter Balls recipe is from my mom. I loved them growing up as do my kids. At home, they treat them like edible play-dough, making all sorts of creations before eating them. Here’s the recipe:
2 c. smooth peanut butter
1 c. dry milk
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. molasses
3/4 c. flax meal
Mix together and roll. (I’ve tried almond butter and it’s not quite as tasty, but it works. You might need more flax meal or dry milk to absorb it. I haven’t tried sunflower seed butter or others. It’s worth a try.)
My daughter almost never brings a lunch and instead enjoys the school lunch provided as its something social that nearly all the kids eat her eat a school provided lunch. However after ready this great piece, Im thinking I will suggest she pack a lunch more often. I’ve seen how excited she gets helping me cook meals around the home already. We started with French toast and cookies and recently we cooked organic chicken together. While she is only 10 years old, she really knows how to take care of herself if need be and that makes me proud. Parents help their kids its seems when they instruct instead doing something for a kid. Finding the balance isn’t always easy, but its worth challenging kids to reach their potential.
I like your attitude on kids packing their own lunches. As long as they are eating healthy & don’t go hungry during the afternoon you are teaching them to be more self sufficient. A habit they will carry with them into their adult life. However, once in a while, can’t they pack a Twinkie once in a while? lol
The chart with the pictures is great for kindergarten kids who are learning to read. I am glad to read you put peanut/almond butter on the menu. The school where my child attends doesn’t allow peanut butter. I also like the non disposable containers & water bottles. This is excellent to teach kids to recycle. Thank you so much for a cool menu. I will share it with my beautiful girl.
Wish more people took the time to do this. My kids ( now adults ) did the same thing after I saw the garbage that was being served in school lunches. They have kept the habit to this day at work. They are actually appalled that all their co-workers hit a fast food joint every day for lunch. Teach them young and you will be surprised at the life lessons they pick up.
Raising two granddaughters ages 10 & 12, this is great thank you!
What are the “peanut butter balls”? Do you have a healthy, not-too-sweet recipe appropriate for lunch?
Both of my kids like their veggies frozen, too. We also like the plastic sandwich boxes – you can use them for more than just sandwiches (of course!), and they keep the wet stuff from “soggifying” the rest!
Great post, Lisa! And a brilliant idea too. Let the kids do the packing! How about adding raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries, other dried fruits to the list? And roasted unsalted nuts [peanuts, almonds, pecans].