Planning your child’s lunches a week in advance will ensure healthy meals for your child and less stress for you. You will have time to shop for the appropriate ingredients and can involve your child in the planning process. Talk to them about the foods they enjoy and the options they would like in their lunches.
This process will help them feel included and should limit or stop uneaten items coming back in their lunch bag at the end of the day. This will also encourage healthy eating habits and gives you an opportunity to teach them about nutrition.
Once the meals have been decided, choose a time on the weekend, either Saturday or Sunday, to do as much of the lunch prep as possible. Package dry food items, such as crackers or raisins, into containers so they are ready during the week.
Freeze items such as yogurt or vegetable dip in individual containers and pull them out of the freezer the morning you need them. They’ll defrost by your child’s lunchtime and will still remain nice and cool.
You can also freeze chili or soup on the weekend and heat it up on the scheduled morning, placing it in a thermos before your child leaves for school.
