Adequate nutrition is important for growing children. Getting your child to eat three healthy meals can sometimes be difficult, especially lunch if your child is at school. Packing a healthy lunch for your student can be the perfect way to bridge the nutrient gap. Not only is finding time to pack a lunch every night difficult, but how many of us remember throwing half of our lunch away, or trading our fruit for someone’s candy bar? That can be really discouraging to a mom. However, there are simple ways to avoid this, for the most part – kids will be kids. There’s nothing you can do to assure 100% that your child is eating what you pack for them that day, but there are few things you can do to push them in that direction.

Pack the food in fun containers like this frog container from the Dollar Tree!

Use bright colors from fruits and vegetables and cut them into different shapes. Make a fruit salad (no sugary coating, please—it’s just as good in pineapple juice!), or fruit/vegetable kabobs. Sometimes just changing the way a food is presented can entice your little one to give it a go.

Avoid foods that are all one color or texture: this is a solid rule for any meal you’re preparing, but especially for kids.

Avoid foods that will get smushy, soggy, or stale: There’s normally about a 4-hour turn around period from packing the lunch to it being eaten. Use airtight bags and containers to make sure fruit doesn’t dry out, and don’t do foods that attract a lot of moisture (like grilled cheeses.) Texture is huge, and we don’t want your kiddo skipping lunch because his sandwich is stinky and wet. 😉

I always loved when my mom wrote me a note for my lunch. It made me feel special and was a neat little surprise!

Don’t be too repetitive: When you find something they like, it can be hard not to pack the same thing every day. But they’ll get worn out on that food in no time, so make sure you keep your lunches varied.

Incorporate fun stuff: favorite foods, colors, shapes, holiday themes, bright paper/containers, handwritten notes, and an occasional treat are just some of the things you can do to spice up a typical, every day lunch.

Hopefully this has given you an idea of where to start. As long as you’re packing nutrient-dense, less-processed foods, your kid is benefitting, so don’t sweat the small stuff. What are some of the most popular lunch box meals you’ve put together? Share them with our readers below!