1. Create a Meal Plan
Planning kids’ lunches in advance saves time (for you!) and keeps things exciting (for them!). Make a list of five to eight reliable main-dish “templates” (see some ideas, below) and rotate them into your plan each week. For example: wraps, pizza, mini sandwiches, finger foods with dip, pasta salad, yogurt parfait, and breakfast for lunch.
Consider creating multiple main dishes with the same ingredients-like using whole-grain English muffins for mini pizzas one day and a peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich the next.
2. Keep Sides and Snacks Simple
3. Shop with Staples in Mind
As a general guideline, aim to offer a serving each of whole grains, protein, vegetables and fruit at each meal. Pick two to three foods from each category to use for lunches throughout the week.
Whole grains:
Whole-grain tortillas
Pita bread
Crackers
Cereal/granola
Pasta
Frozen waffles
English muffins
Mini bagels
Proteins:
Vegetables:
Carrot sticks
Sliced bell peppers
Cucumber rounds
Halved grape tomatoes
Sugar snap peas
Lightly steamed broccoli
Cauliflower
Green beans
Frozen peas
Fruit:
4. Get Ahead on Sunday
5. Keep in Mind...