Ideas for Kids Brown Bag Lunches
Keep in mind that kids have a certain amount of time to eat lunch at school. There meal should be nutritious but time plays an important factor. Kids like variety, especially once they reach a certain age. So why not satisfy their needs with an array of choices for sandwiches, snacks and drinks in their lunch bag?
Finger foods are a hit with the younger kids. These finger foods allow them to eat, talk and get stuffed all at the same time. Easy to open goodness for kids comes in the form of crackers shaped like nuggets or sticks paired with cheese sticks. Cutting their sandwiches into four or more pieces allow them to eat as much or as little as they want.
The older kids prefer sandwiches. Finger foods will no longer fill their hunger, so a sandwich of some sort will do them just fine. Positive lunch options for the older kids come in the form of wraps, pita sandwiches, soups and even leftovers.
Middle or high school kids do not have access to a refrigerator. Many school cafeterias do provide microwave ovens for the students to use. Leftovers are a great choice for kids at this level, heating leftovers up is easier for them. For less microwaving time, slice the food into smaller pieces. Depending on what the leftover is, they might be able to eat it at room temperature.
Try adding a fresh fruit or even a small green salad that may please your kids. Baby carrots, broccoli and cucumbers dipped in ranch dressing are appealing to most children. Fruits are also finger foods and they are actually great for sharing with friends. Throw some peanut butter in for dipping to please them even more. Good nutrition should be a top priority for everyone.
What else is there to put in your kids brown bag lunch? Of course, the snack included in a brown bag lunch compliments the main course, the sandwich. If the sandwich is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich which is already sweet, try a bag of pretzels or any other salty snack. By mixing flavors this allows each one to be tasted individually.
Kids are not so picky as long as you let them try out a variety of foods. This will allow your kids to get used to healthy foods as well as a few sweets every now and then. The opportunities for mixing and matching are endless when you prepare their brown bag lunches. Go ahead and experiment with various food items to find the perfect lunches that your kids will love.
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