When your kids start to go to school it is fantastic. If you have been a stay at home parent until this point then you get a few more hours in the day to clean the house, read a book, and perhaps focus on other work. However, it likely means that you are now getting up even earlier. The little ones struggle to plan any part of their day right in the early stages of school and you need to think of everything. If they are out the door at eight this often means getting up at around six to ensure their uniform is clean, their lunch is made, and they have everything they need for the day ahead. If you want a little time for yourself to go for a run or do some yoga it can mean waking up at five or even earlier! The beginning of school does not necessarily mean the beginning of the easy times.
When your kids come home from school the whole process starts again, you have to make sure they do their homework, eat their dinner, get washed and cleaned, and are ready for bed. One of the biggest hazards during the day is in preparing their lunch. It can be tough to keep lunches interesting, healthy, and safe. So many parents sidestep this issue by giving their kids some money to buy something for lunch but this is not a good idea. Follow our advice and you can ensure a great lunch option for your kid every time.
While you can trust your child with many things in life, money for lunch should not be one of them. They don’t yet appreciate the difference between healthy and unhealthy food to a great degree yet. While you can tell them what food is healthy and what food is not and that may be a good enough answer to convince them to eat those last pieces of broccoli at the dinner table, it won’t work when you are not around. Handing money to your child is too much of a temptation for them to spend it all on chocolate and sweets. While you may take this option to save time you will lose all that time when you have to collect your child from school because they are sick from eating junk food.
Instead, prepare an easy lunch. With some preparation, this can be easy to do. As most lunch boxes are not chilled and the days are getting hotter you should choose something that can stay in the lunch box for hours without risk of spoiling. Here are your best options.
Always choose a filling main item. This can be a sandwich, crackers, pasta salad, or wraps. Pair it with veggies, tinned tuna, or salted meats to ensure what you have packed stays in great condition. Add some fruit on the side and try to vary this so your kid doesn’t get bored. Apples, oranges, berries, bananas, and watermelon are all fantastic options. For a drink, you can buy multipack juices in the supermarket that are tailor-made for the lunch box but they are terrible for the environment and even worse for your kid. Stick with water and treat your child to their own water bottle that they need to take care of. If they miss the flavor of juices add some bonus items to the water to make the taste come alive. Add a cereal bar or frozen yogurt as a final treat. This is something that we won’t eat at lunch but may use as a snack later in the day, ideal. If you plan it right the lunches can take less than five minutes a day to prepare and be a healthy cost-effective option for your child.