School has started, and we’ve already beaten peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to death at our house. Here I sit at home, eating a healthy, delicious salad (because I know how easy it is to eat this way…and while we’re on the subject of healthy recipes, be sure to check out my AMAZING cookbook HERE) and my poor kids are having to face another day of the same boring sack lunches…until now!
Here are FIVE fun and simple ideas to help keep your kids happy, healthy and willing to eat their lunch!!!
Stick a Toothpick in it
“Toothpick lunches” are one of my kids’ favorite things to eat. It is amazing what they will eat if they get to stick a toothpick in it! I usually buy regular toothpicks but it is fun to spice it up a little and buy different kinds. You can order some really fun ones here. And I keep it simple – grapes, bread cubes, cheese cubes, bananas. They’ll eat just about anything I can find that you can stick a toothpick into!
2. Contain it
Here’s a nice variation from Ziplocks bags! I don’t even need to get too creative about the food items because the container is such a novelty! Here’s what I love about these containers:
- Food containers snap together to stay organized and save space in lunch bags
- Microwave, Freezer and Dishwasher Safe
- Perfect for flat or tall lunch bags
- Blue Ice pack keeps lunches chilled on the go
- Leak-proof lids are easy to open-no adults needed!
- Available in 2 unique configurations to fit your child’s lunch bag.
To learn more about this product, or to order, click here.
These Bento Boxes from Pottery Barn Kids are another great container option. You can even send some toothpicks from above to spear the food and keep things interesting. Click here for pricing or to learn more.
3. Cut-n-Seal
Love the Pampered Chef Cut-N-Seal, but these are on the black market now. Pampered Chef no longer makes them, but I still love how it spices up a regular ole’ sandwich! (Not to mention the little perk of cutting off the crusts for the kids.) Click here to get one of these antiques – and get them while you can because they won’t be around much longer. And check out how cute these sandwiches are! Thanks to The Muffin Tin Mom for the darling kitty sandwich idea. Click here to see how she did it.
4. Make Lunch Time Fun!
This is the real thing from the movie “Cars.” Definitely the lunch for a rainy day! I love the step-by-step instructions from Crusts and Everything. Be sure to check it out to see all of the “Mater Sandwiches” submitted by their viewers!
5. Home Lunch Menu
Recreate the excitement of school lunch by creating your own “lunch menu!” Not only will add some novelty to the sack lunch idea, but it will save you the stress of trying to come up with something new each morning. All of the planning will already be done! Click HERE for a free printable to create your own lunch calendar.
Now it is time for you to share with me some of your fun ideas on how to keep lunch healthy and fresh!
Love these ideas, thanks so much for sharing. 2 of my boys will be eating lunch at school and I’m always looking for new ideas….and their school is nut free, so no peanut butter allowed. I have those containers and they work great! Love the idea of the toothpick lunch 🙂
Ooh, that is tough to work around an allergy. I’m glad you’ve found some new ideas! Let me know how the boys like it.
How do you make the fun shapes out of the fruit? My kiddos would LOVE that!
Cookie cutters are the answer, my friend! They are like magic when it comes to getting the kids to eat their lunch. Use tiny ones for fruit, or bigger ones to cut bread into shapes for a fun PB&J. Check out this link for a picture that shows how to cut an apple into a heart shape…http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/2011/03/cute-kitty-lunch.html
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