Tips on Making Lunch Box Meals Fun & Healthy!

School Lunch – PB&J, Chocolate Milk, Yogurt, Jello, Strawberries, Banana Pepper and Tomatoes

This year we made the decision to pack school lunches for the girls in effort to make sure they are eating a well balanced meal at lunch and to save a little extra in the budget.  Since Jake and I have pretty much as taken lunches to work the girls thought it was a great idea.  They now take their lunch bags to school every day but Friday, on Friday they eat the school lunch (usually it is a special meal like pizza or hamburgers or something else).  Brina and Karlie have enjoyed being able to bring a lunch and most days they pick out the majority of the items they are going to take.

Here’s what I pack:

• Meat or Protein – PB&J, Soup, Sandwich or something easy to eat)
• Diary – Yogurt or Cheese Stick
• Fruit – Fresh Fruit or Applesauce
• Vegetable – Fresh Vegetable
• Snack – Pretzels, Teddy Grahams, Jello, etc…
• Drink – Water, Chocolate Milk, Milk, Juice, Box / Bag

School Lunch – PB&J, Cheese Stick, Jello, Fresh Strawberries, Juice Bag, Fresh Tomates & Banana Pepper

It is important to me that the girls get a well balanced meal at lunch time.  One of the fun parts about packing lunches for your spouse and kids is you get to add in what our family calls a “special surprise”!  Typically the girls / Jake do not know that the surprise has been added because they were not there when I was putting the finishing touches on the lunches or I put it in later that evening.

Special Surprises for lunch boxes:

• Something Sweet  – about 1 or 2 times a week I will put in a homemade cookie, piece of candy or something sweet.
• Love Note – usually on a sticky note and sometimes written on a bag or sandwich container
• Random Shapes – sandwiches cut into shapes (squares, triangles, hearts, etc…)
• Special Drink – occasionally I will get a special drink (like one that fizzes when they add it to their water, chocolate milk, or something Jake enjoys)
• Mystery Smiles – I try to sneak mystery smiles into their lunches by using food, sometimes a random smile on a bag or other ways of sharing a smile (see picture below)

The key is to let your family know that you are thinking about them. Special surprises do not need to take up a huge amount of extra time.  I keep a dry erase marker on the fridge and a sticky pad in the kitchen so they are handy for writing a quick note.  If I make cookies I just bag some up when putting them away to stick in their lunches.  Or if you find a special drink on sale stick that in the lunch box for them to enjoy.  The girls express great joy in discovering and sharing their goodies.  It doesn’t take me long to do it but it makes them feel loved and appreciated.

A banana pepper and two small tomatoes in a snack bag make the perfect mystery smile for a kids school lunch.

What items do you put in your spouse or kids lunches (food or special surprises)?