Lunch boxes for little ones
Imagine easy to make lunch boxes that your young children love! My wife and I are responsible for our 2 year old’s lunch box. We are always learning new things about what works and what doesn’t for lunch boxes. Here’s what we’ve learned:
To save time/effort, build it primarily from dinner left-overs, however add one new easy to prepare item (cheese, eggs - scrambled or hard boiled, a simple sandwich, etc)
Kids love bento box-style lunch containers. You know the ones with partitions to separate different types of food? Our daughter loves having different choices for lunch and the partitions keep them nicely separated in case the morning trip to daycare is a little turbulent!
Stick to food your child likes, however I suggest often putting something new or even something they haven’t liked previously in one of the partitions. Parents will be shocked to find out that your child may eat something they previously weren’t interested in. Preferences, mood and the way an item is prepared can make it perceived in an entirely new way. I reiterate… If your child initially doesn’t like a certain food, offer it to them again and again. Of course, sometimes it’s best to allow some time to pass before offering it to them again.
For young children, like our 2 year old, I always have some of her lunch that can be easily eaten by hand (“finger food”). Food like chunky soft steamed veggies, pieces of cheese, quesadilla, eggs (hard boiled - peeled and cut, or a piece of an omelet) work well.
Our 4 year old’s daycare provides lunch and preparing his daily snack is easy - cut fruit, cheese, rice cake or a left-over crepe. Get feedback from the daycare provider to fine tune lunches and snacks so that your children get the nourishment they need to keep their energy balanced throughout the day!