Whether your kids are going to school or getting homeschooled, lunch is a very important part of their day. By ensuring that your child has a nutritious lunch daily, you are doing your part as their parent to look after their health, and also help them keep their energy levels up and keeps them focused.
If you’re struggling to get your kids to eat at lunchtime, then we’ve got some healthy school lunch ideas that are also fun for kids! There is nothing worse than opening your child’s backpack and finding 2 or 3 old lunch boxes filled with half-eaten or barely touched food. Or the frustration of sitting with your kid and trying to force them to eat their lunch.
Not only can this lead to food wastage but it also hinders your children from getting the valuable nutrients and nourishment they need. Lunchtime shouldn’t be a fight or a waste of food, so we’ve identified some valuable tips to make lunchtime fun again and to entice your kids to gobble their food right up!
Before we get into our creative ideas, let’s chat about the importance of a well-balanced lunch.
Why packed lunches are important
It’s tempting to give your kids some money to sort out their own lunches, but you never know what they may be buying to eat. A packed lunch prevents your children from filling their bellies with overly processed and sugary foods. Healthy lunches keep your kids alert, focused, and give them the nutrition they need to grow big and strong.
A well-balanced lunch can improve your child’s physical development, cognition, and behaviour. Without these important factors, a student cannot develop physically or mentally. Lunch boxes can be an exciting part of their day and you can make them super enticing if you vary the contents by including foods from a variety of food groups and preparing the food in different ways.
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Why your kids aren’t eating their packed lunches
It’s vital for your kids to be eating a healthy lunch from a variety of food groups and we know you’re probably providing them with that. So why are your kids leaving the plates untouched or their lunchboxes forgotten? There could be a few reasons.
1. They’re too distracted
Your kids’ days are filled with a variety of activities. From learning to playing with friends to games and sport they play, a lot of the time, your child is so focused on everything else they have going on that they don’t think about eating their lunch.
2. They can’t open the containers
It may sound a little silly but there are many lunch containers that your kids will struggle to open. Some containers are simply too tight or if they have complicated clips then they may not understand how to open them. When you’re packing their lunch or buying their lunchboxes, ask your child to show you how they open the container to make sure it’s easy enough for them to open.
3. They’re bored
We understand that as a parent, your days are super busy and sometimes making your child’s lunch can be the last thing on your list. The easiest thing to do is default to a peanut butter sarmie or something of the sort. If you’re making the same lunch over and over, your children are most likely not going to want to eat it so it may be a good idea to change things up a little bit.
4. Maybe they’re just not interested
Some kiddies just couldn’t be bothered with the lunch their parents’ pack. Maybe they’re saving money to buy treats from the tuckshop instead of eating the food you’ve prepared. In cases like this, it may be better to contact your child’s teachers to discuss the fact that they aren’t eating their lunch. There’s nothing wrong with providing your child with a little extra guidance when you’re not around.
We’ve got some fun & healthy school lunch ideas to make lunchtime fun again!
1. Plan lunches together
Use making lunch as a great way to bond with your little ones. Ask your child to help you build the menu for their lunches for the week. Involving your children in the process and letting them make some of their own decisions will give them a sense of excitement and pride in their lunches which will encourage them to eat it.
You could even let your kiddies come to the shops with you to choose their food items or lunchboxes. Some children love to make a food chart so you could also purchase a whiteboard and let them fill out their menu for the week on there.
2. Assign lunch-packing duty
You can also give your child a little job to do with their lunches. They can pack their food into the lunchboxes and get their lunch bag ready. This is a great opportunity to teach your children some responsibility, independence and basic skills.
3. Use cutouts
There are some super cute shapes that you can use to cut out sandwiches. You can use sandwich cutters to transform a basic sarmie into a dinosaur, a flower or their favourite cartoon character. You can also just use a knife to cut fruits and veggies into interesting and fun shapes. Your kids are sure to eat their lunch if it looks so creative and interesting.
4. Offer them variety
Kids get bored easily. When creating their lunch menu for the week, maybe change the contents of their sandwich every second day or switch out the fruits or veggies you add into their lunchbox. Your kiddies are more likely to eat up when they’re looking forward to what’s in their lunch every day.
Extra fun tip: leave little notes in your kids’ lunchboxes each day, either a little letter, a funny drawing or an inside joke will go a long way!
Find some healthy snack inspiration here.
We hope this helps make sure your kids are loving lunch and getting all the nutrients they need.
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