Pack easy-to-eat fruits and veggies.
Your child's school lunch can either provide nourishment and sustenance or empty calories, depending on what and how you pack for lunch A 2010 study in the Public Health Nutrition Journal in England showed that elementary aged students who brought a packed lunch ate healthier foods than those who purchased lunch in the cafeteria. Packing a lunch that your child will actually eat requires a bit more strategy, but helps ensure that he has enough nutrition to get through the day.
Easy to Eat
Throwing a whole apple or orange in your 7-year-old's lunch box is easy, but not terribly practical. If you always skin or peel your child's fruit for him at home, he probably won't eat that same fruit with skin at school. Purchase pre-packaged slices of apples or cut and slice them yourself and place them in a sandwich bag. Peel and slice oranges entirely, not just into cut wedges, or your child may just suck on the wedge rather than actually eat the fruit.
Keep it Cold
Even the tastiest turkey or tuna sandwich is less appealing at room temperature and may actually be dangerous to your child's health. Invest in an insulated lunch box that keeps foods cold throughout the day. Keep juice drinks refreshing by freezing them the night before and letting them thaw out in your child's lunch box during the day. His drink will thaw by lunch and also act as a cold pack for the other food.
Utensils and Containers
Pack recyclable utensils rather than depleting your entire supply of metal spoons. Choose containers that you know your child can snap easily. Many a spill has happened even though the child "was sure" he sealed the lid of his half-eaten chicken soup. Choose easy, quick zip-seal plastic bags that your child can secure in one easy swipe.
Teach Mess Avoidance
If your young child insists on having a particular food, such as a yogurt tube, teach him cut off the top of the yogurt with safety scissors and then ask him to repeat the task himself before packing a potential blueberry flavored dairy geyser. If you include items like apple dippers or carrots with peanut butter, show him dip and eat the item without bathing himself in the dipping sauce. Include an antibacterial wet wipe and encourage him to use it after meals and snacks.
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