Whether you love preparing a lunch box every morning or find it overwhelming, if you need to take into account allergens in your child's group or seek inspiration for creative ideas, here are 10 crucial tips for packing a lunch box: what to include, how to choose the food and the container, and how to discuss it with your child.
1 - Is it "Mom invests" or "Mom sinks"? It's all about balance. Creative cutting, moving eyes, making vegetables look human, color transitions from the food, and more...the sky is the limit. If you enjoy investing in the lunchbox and your child is also into it - go for it! If it's not your thing, then don't stress about it. It's just one of your many roles as a mom.
2 - How to choose a suitable lunchbox? There's so much written on the internet about choosing a lunchbox! I personally love the ones that have 3 compartments with an easy-to-use sleeve and also the Sistema ones. Important emphasis! The lunchbox should be mainly easy to open. You can practice with your child on the opening and closing to make sure it's suitable.
3 - "Do you want a pita with hummus or with cottage cheese?" Let your child make the choice.
I highly recommend letting your child choose what to eat. Take into account their preferences and let them choose from 2-3 options, so as not to confuse them too much. Let them choose their sandwich spread, one vegetable, one fruit, and if allowed at school, something small and sweet. If you want to add something to the lunchbox, let them know about it.
4 - Is it necessary to vary between meals from morning to morning? It's definitely important to vary the types and colors of food, but there's no need to insist on it - you can vary the mid-morning snack from week to week, not necessarily on a daily basis. Remember, this is not the only meal of the day. And between us, it's really stressful to reinvent ourselves every day... isn't it? You can do the same thing all week or make a weekly plan together. See section 6.
5 - And if he's not willing to eat anything, just a sandwich? Even if he doesn't really like to eat vegetables - explain to him that it's important and that he can choose the type. Give him some tastes, give him a little bit. If he feels that his requests are being considered, then your suggestions will probably be accepted too. If there are recurring nutrition issues at home, they will also be reflected in the 10 o'clock meal, but it's certainly worthwhile to address the source.
This is a great opportunity for both of you to learn together about how our body is built, what it needs to be fed, and more...
6 - Another recommendation that will help the picky eater child and the busy mom: prepare a weekly menu in advance. Write a weekly menu on the fridge, and every Saturday choose what to prepare for the next week. A friend of mine, who wakes up early for work, works this way and it works wonders. This way everything is organized, ready on time, the children get full choice and learn to manage their choices.
7 - Do you have a food-sensitive child in your kids's kindergarten? This directly affects the food that is allowed to be brought into the kindergarten, and not just that: it's an opportunity! A great opportunity to teach children about consideration for others and the meaning of being part of a society. An opportunity to teach your child how to make their friend feel good and respected. It's true - sometimes it's less convenient and sometimes a child can be very picky with their food. Nevertheless, this discomfort is temporary and it's an opportunity to cultivate empathy. You want that :) and in addition to all these "constraints," they often lead to creativity and tasty experiments.
8 - "What did you eat? How much? Why?" When you come back at the end of the day, you don't need to start questioning to get a report on what was eaten, how much was eaten, and especially why something wasn't eaten. If you are interested in knowing what was successful - ask in the evening or morning, not immediately when you enter the house.
9 - Good habits are good friends. Make it a habit to come home and then empty the bag (even right after removing shoes). Don't empty it for your child - direct them. Including taking things out of the bag, opening a box, throwing away leftovers, and placing them in the sink. Encouraging independence is here!
10 - Love notes in the lunchbox :) Some oxytocin PLUS learning, why not? I highly recommend preparing "good morning" notes for the lunchbox, it's very easy and quick and there are tons of suggestions online. For those who want to upgrade with ease, and if there are days when you don't have enough time (my child simply enjoys it very much and asks for it every day) - I highly recommend purchasing sticky notes in bulk.
For example these.
Bon Appétit!!
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