Got a Few Picky Eaters? Don’t Miss These Five Healthy Lunches Your Kids Will Love!
Do you want to inspire your kids to eat healthy lunches — and to be experimental with what they eat? Are you looking for easy prep and execution so that you’re not spending all day in the grocery store or the kitchen? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then check out these five healthy and easy lunches you can make for your kids. Get your kids excited about opening their lunch boxes with these five easy treats.
Lunch #1: Chicken and Fruit Skewers
Using skewers for food is a fun and easy meal solution for kids. Best of all, a skewered lunchbox food is easy to prep and you can make different types of lunch foods and snacks. For example, grill or bake chicken in your favorite sauce, stick them on the skewers and refrigerate. You can duplicate this effort with your favorite fruits and veggies too. Add a small container of yogurt, ketchup or ranch dressing for an easy add-on and surprise for your child’s lunchbox.
Lunch #2: Turn Main Meals into Finger Foods.
Deconstruct it for your child’s lunch by filling a bento box with rice, sausage, freshly-cut veggies such as cucumbers and a healthy side of fruit cubes of your choice. This is great trick that works for a lot of the main meals you are already cooking for dinner every night allowing your child to eat what he or she likes in a “finger-food” style that is fun and easy.
Lunch #3: Make Sandwich Pinwheels
Sandwich pinwheels, also known as sandwich rollups, are a super easy and artistic way to get your kids to eat their lunches. The best part of this technique is that you can customize it to incorporate your child’s favorite flavors and sandwiches. One easy and healthy pinwheel is to layer turkey, cheese, spinach and your favorite condiment — such as spicy mustard. Roll it up and then cut it small chunks or “wheels” down the length of the roll. When you turn the wheel on its side, you’ll have a mini sandwich with a cool pinwheel design of the food you put in the sandwich. Add a cup of fruit, yogurt or veggies and you’re on your way to a fun, creative and healthy lunch that your child will love to get when he/she opens up their lunchbox at school.
Lunch #4: Baked Drumsticks
Fried chicken isn’t the healthiest, but you can create a similar taste by baking drumsticks in the oven. Roll drumsticks in a little egg and dredge them in panko bread crumbs. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until crispy for about 45 minutes. Drumsticks are the perfect size and heartiness for lunch. You can add a cauliflower or broccoli slaw that is crunchy and healthy, along with some watermelon cubes that are sweet and refreshing. This fancy lunchbox meal has foods that complement one another, are healthy and a great mix of both the savory and sweet. Baked chicken also tastes great both hot and cold, perfect for school lunches.
Lunch #5: Fill Up on Salads
Salads are easy to prep, healthy and can be made with just about anything that you have in the fridge. All you need for a base is lettuce and some veggies; from there you can get creative with some healthy add-ons.
Items to add to salads to give it a healthy and tasty boost
- •A cup of black beans (soaked overnight to avoid the sodium in canned beans)
•A handful of no-salt, slivered almonds
•A cup of sliced strawberries or grapes for sweetness
•A cup of roasted sweet potatoes or brussel sprouts
•Baked parmesan crisps for the top
•Add a small container of your favorite dressing on the side so the salad doesn’t get soggy.
•Consider topping your salad with a healthy protein such as grilled chicken or salmon. Remember to pack an ice pack for this lunch, since it needs to stay chilled.
If you feel overwhelmed, frustrated and tired of making the same old lunches for your children or worse yet are packing something that isn’t healthy just because it’s easy, then this quick and easy guide will change things for you. With a little creativity and prep, you can start making these five easy meals. Get ready for lots of kid approvals with these A+ lunches.
