Afraid to prepare lunch? New ideas for the next school year

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New school year, new lunches. For parents who pack lunch boxes for their young children, it can be difficult to make nutritious meals that the children will finish.

Aviva Wittenberg, author of Lunchbox, a cookbook with more than 75 lunch recipes and tips, says: “Sometimes parents can get caught up in what other kids are doing. what to eat and they feel bad if their children are not smart. But what is really important is for the children to have a full afternoon of learning.

So, how can you make sure that your child’s lunch is nutritious and something he will look forward to? Here are some ideas for packing lunches that the kids will enjoy.

Make everything visible

Nicole Addison, registered dietitian and owner of Nourish by Nic, says children are more likely to eat something if it’s in front of them. Addison says: “That way, they can take pieces of food and eat as they like and according to their schedule.

Wittenberg agrees: When her daughter was young, “if she couldn’t see inside the container, she wouldn’t eat it.”

To encourage your child to dig, the best way to pack lunch is to make all the parts visible. There are no separate packages or containers, which children have to open before digging. Wittenberg recommends having a bento-style lunch box that separates all the food and places it in an open space.

He says: “There is no miracle, when you open the lid and see all your lunch and decide what you want to eat. Besides, there are few things to lose.

Go with your favorites

A packed lunch is not the time to try something new, Wittenberg and Addison emphasize. Eating at school, away from the care and support of their carers, children will not want to eat something they have never had before. Especially since the function of lunch is to warm up the afternoon of children’s education, it is better to stick to reliable favorites to ensure that they actually eat.

Addison says: “Yes, we want the children to eat as much variety as possible. But introduce new foods at dinner, where you can talk to them about them.

Get them involved

The best way to get kids excited about lunch is to get them active. Wittenberg says that when her children were young, she gave them cookbooks for lunch and let them choose what they wanted. He says: “They picked the things they wanted to eat so that they would be happy to eat them.” “It was really important that they be the decision makers in whatever I carry.”

Addison says getting kids involved in lunch plans can be as simple as going shopping together. Addison says: “Choosing what they would like to have for lunch really helps. That way, “they know what to expect when they eat.”

A few suggestions for a fun lunch:

While lunch may not be the best time to try completely new recipes or try new foods, there are a few ways to jazz up your lunch boxes.

Start simple

To keep things simple, Addison relies on a basic equation for all foods. “When I look at a plate, I want a quarter of the plate to be protein, a quarter to be carbohydrates full of fiber to give energy, and the other half to be full of fruits and vegetables,” he said. From there, you can riff forever.

Use shapes

The easiest way to spice up any food is by cutting the food into interesting shapes. Not only does it make everything look good, it can encourage children to eat more. “Kids can be funny about things like that,” says Wittenberg. “My kids wouldn’t eat a carrot cut off a stick, but if I use a small flower clipper, they would eat it.”

Tools that can cut food into delicious shapes are a great investment for lunch (small vegetable cutters come in a variety of sizes online). But you can also use what you already have at home: Addison says using a cookie cutter to make sandwiches in fun shapes is an easy way to add visual appeal to an otherwise boring meal. .

Play visually

In addition to cutting the portions into shapes, playing with the way the lunch looks can make it appeal to the kids (and add something fun for the packer). Something as simple as organizing food by color can make a big difference. “I used to pack vegetables in rainbow order,” says Wittenberg. This gave her children a chance to finish their vegetables – a definite win.

For an even better look, Wittenberg suggests using Japanese food picks—small, often decorated with cute animal heads or fun shapes—to add visual flair and than in your child’s lunch. These options not only make the food more appealing but also make it easier for kids to pick up finger foods. Make sure you choose options that are appropriate for your child’s age to avoid any choking hazards.