It’s that time of year again…back to school!! In my mind, I picture parents dancing around while the kids are moping and dragging their backpacks along behind them. Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but sometimes I can drum up some pretty good dramas in my mind! I know this time of year comes with many mixed emotions and stresses. I hear people lament about the fact summer is over; vacations are done and so is the laid back energy of the season. With that though, I also hear that everyone has some gratitude to returning a routine schedule. School means that through-out the weekdays everyone has a certain routine and then the weekends bring slightly different one. However, there are the stresses of getting everyone up, fed, dressed and out the door with (mostly) everything they need for the day. I’ve heard many parents wonder about what in the world they’ll do for their children’s lunch at school each day, and how to keep it healthy yet intriguing for them. Even though I don’t have kids myself, I know they can be fickle and their likes can quickly turn to dislikes within a day. I may have been this type of kid while growing up. (Sorry Mom and Dad).

So I wanted to share some options to have in your lunch trick bag. As kids get older, they can help you with picking out the foods they like and putting their own lunches together. Think of these options as bento box type lunches (having a container with different sections or multiple little containers with different options). You have choices from a ‘main meal’, fruit/veggie, and a side/snack plus a drink to go with it all.

I found this list of ideas from www.modernhoney.com , you could easily expand on it too!

*Main Meal Options: pita break & hummus, cheese & crackers, Turkey & cheese roll-ups, hard boiled eggs, ham&cheese sandwich, veggie & hummus wrap, chips & guacamole, meat & cheese kabob, cheese quesadilla.

*Fruit/Veggie Options: oranges, apples, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, natural applesauce, mangoes, melons, baby carrots, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, edamame, snap peas.

*Sides/Snacks: chips, granola bars, yogurt, trail mix, fruit leather, larabar/cliff bar, popcorn, crackers, fruit cup, pudding cup, pretzels, chips & salsa, string cheese, cookies, graham crackers.

Some options on putting lunches together:

• Turkey & cheddar roll up, fresh berries, yogurt, trail mix
• Pita bread, hummus, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, orange slices
• Cheese quesadilla, guacamole, tortilla chips, string cheese
• Crackers, cheese cubes, grapes, larabar or cliff bar
• Almond butter & jelly (Or PB & J), string cheese, fruit cup, chips

As you can see, if you pick an option from the main meal, then a few from the other groups you easily have a pretty well balanced lunch for your child. This method also helps keeping the lunches from becoming the same thing all the time. As an adult I dont even like that! Matter of fact, I may start stocking my fridge with items from this list to make my own bento box style lunch!

I hope the school year starts as stress-free for everyone as possible, and I hope sharing what I found helps you parents with keeping lunch fresh for your littles!