How To Pack Nutritious Lunches Your Kids Will Eat

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Give your children's brown bag lunch a healthy punch -- one they won't trade away!

To complete this How-To you will need:

Your child's opinion
Flexibility
Flavored milk
Dips
Decorative toothpicks
An insulated lunch bag (optional) (optional)

Step 1: Get them involved

Get your child involved in lunch planning and preparation. Kids are more apt to eat a meal if they've been allowed some input.

Step 2: Be flexible

Be flexible about what constitutes lunch. If your child prefers breakfast foods, let them take whole-grain cereal and chopped fruit and nuts, or hard-boiled eggs and turkey sausage.

Tip: Whenever you serve a nutritious dinner that your child enjoys, set aside a portion for them to take for lunch the next day. Warm the leftovers and pack them in an insulated lunch sack to keep the meal hot for up to five hours.

Step 3: Pack flavored milk

Pack flavored milk; research shows children are more likely to drink it over the plain stuff. And even though it adds sugar to your child's diet, some studies indicate that flavored milk drinkers do not consume more sugar or fat than plain milk drinkers.

Tip: Do watch the overall sugar content of the lunch you pack; kids who eat a low-sugar lunch focus better throughout the afternoon, according to one study.

Step 4: Include dips

If you're packing raw vegetables, include a tasty dip, like low-fat Ranch dressing, salsa, or hummus. Studies show kids will eat almost anything if they can dip it into something tasty. Let your child choose the vegetables and encourage them to try new ones. Include some fancy toothpicks so they can spear and dip.

Step 5: Focus on presentation

Make the food look appetizing by including fruits and vegetables in vibrant colors and cutting them into eye-pleasing shapes. A kid who turns up their nose at a carrot stick might eat carrot curls.

Step 6: Rethink the sandwich

Rethink the traditional sandwich. See if your child will eat their tuna salad between hearts of Romaine, inside a red pepper boat, or on celery stalks.

Step 7: Don't force any foods

Don't bother packing foods you know your child won't eat; they'll just get traded or thrown away. Make it your mission to give them the most nutritious alternatives they will devour.

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Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• HomeFamily
• kids
• family
• eat
• lunch
• lunches
• nuritious
• pack
• lunchables
• snacks
• hot
• pockets
• lunchtime
• cafeteria

[lessthan3lyse]

Did you see those toothpicks? I'm pretty sure you shouldn't pack those. Your kid could get into really big trouble for that.

[ongbak619]

next howcast video

how to trade lunch at school

[egarcia513]

most viewed by

female 13-17

teenage moms :/

[MissAvatarfan1]

Is anyone here a teen for ideas on how to make their own lunch???

[Toon999kinzpengwo]

Are they from Canada?? I see milk bags

[IOUthelove]

I like what the Japanese had in mind. Take healthy fruits, veggies, breads, meats, and seasoning and make it look beautiful. My mom did that to all my lunches and I do them to my lunches now. The prettier they looked, it made me want to eat them.

[werwer607]

1:44 DUURRRR!!!

[werwer607]

who eats a hard boiled egg for lunch? it would probably stink up their lunch bag that day

[werwer607]

who eats a hard boiled egg for lunch? it would probably stink up their lunch

[bwr408jr]

yeh thats the white way my mom would be like ur gona eat what i fucking make pinche pendeho

[filmFlicka]

@toiletwater101 I cook several hard boiled eggs at the same time and place them in the fridge separated from the uncooked ones... That's what was used in the video :-)

[filmFlicka]

Hi everyone :-) I didn't write the script, but I shot and directed and acted in the video. Thanks for all the comments, even the totally rude and off the topic ones. Thanks even more for the ones that were complimentary! lee~