Kids & Company Blog

The Dreaded Bagged Lunch

The Dreaded Bagged Lunch…………. While your children were young, you were able to avoid it. Daycare and camp prepared lunch and snacks and you just dropped them off and didn’t have to worry about it. Now September is rolling around, your kiddie is starting big kid school, and they’re not the only one with homework!

When my kids were younger, I often struggled with pulling together a bagged lunch. When you’re exhausted after a long day, it can feel like homework! Here at Kids & Company we have a whole team dedicated to making sure your kiddies are served delicious and nutritious meals exceeding Canada’s food guide. However, when you’re on your own with a seemingly empty fridge and a picky eater to prepare for, the task can be challenging!  Here are some tips and tricks I learned along the way to make the ‘dreaded bagged lunch’ doable.

1. Let them choose

Children are more likely to eat their lunch if they are given some choice. This doesn’t mean you have to pack just sweet choices every day! Empower your children to make great food choices by giving them healthy options. For example, ask them, “Would you like cucumber or carrots as your veggie tomorrow?” By deciding for themselves, they know what to expect and can take ownership of their selection.

2. Mini Family Style

One of my favourite ways to downsize family style dining is to pack lunches in a bento box!  At Kids & Company we serve food in serving bowls separated by protein, carbohydrates, veggies, and fruits. The kids then serve themselves and learn about portion sizing and food groups during the process. Though bagged lunches are pre-served by design, your kiddies can still have a balanced lunch by using the fun and versatile bento box. Just portion the foods groups in to different parts of the container. Bento boxes are fun and portable, so eating a varied and properly portioned lunch will become an enjoyable habit!

3. Jazz Up Your Leftovers

They say ‘if it’s good for dinner, it’s good for lunch’. In fact its second nature for many to make a little extra for dinner that can then be repurposed the next day. What I like to do is plan some of my dinners with lunch in mind. If I made my kids rice pilaf, grilled chicken, and veggies one night, those same ingredients can be tucked in to a tortilla for a burrito the next day! It’s amazing how a simple switch of one food item can take the lame out of leftovers.

I hope these quick tips can help you tame the monster that is ‘the dreaded bag lunch’!

From our kitchen to yours…Enjoy!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @kidcochildcare and on Instagram @cheflisaruscica!

 

Cheers,

 

Chef Lisa Ruscica

Chief Food Ambassador

 

Posted on: Wednesday August 31st, 2016

Posted by: Lisa Ruscica