Getting your kids to eat can be difficult at the best of times. On school days, you send them off to school with a lunch box and hope for the best. But there are things you can do to make a lunch box lunch more exciting – and to get your kids to eat more of it. Here are several ideas for fun and creative things you can do to make a lunch box lunch more exciting for your kids.
Kids love to eat with their hands. They are more likely to eat what you put in the lunch box if it’s bite sized. A piece of whole fruit is daunting to a child: cut it up. For extra fun, use mini-cookie cutters, such as these ones from Pampered Chef, to cut lunch meat, cheese slices and vegetables into shapes.
You can also use mini cookie cutters to create your own Lunchables. They are just the right size to make lunch meat and cheese slices to fit on a cracker sandwich. Any pizza-loving kid would adore a cracker with pepperoni, a circle of mozzarella cheese and a pizza sauce spread.
Sandwiches for a Change.
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich don’t have to be boring. Mix it up by using a large cookie cutter to cut the bread into a shape before making the sandwich. Another option is to make a sandwich on anything besides plain bread. Try English muffins, bagels, tortillas, hot dog or hamburger buns or pitas. Also, don’t be afraid to try new fillings. Anything your kids will eat can be a sandwich filling. Put in their favorite vegetables and sauces, try chicken or egg salad, or beans and cheese.
Dip It. From chicken nuggets to carrot sticks, dunking makes eating much more fun. Small pieces of meat, cut up fruits and vegetables, crackers or pretzel sticks are all great for dipping. When it comes to dipping, any kind of sauce will do. Barbeque sauce, teriyaki sauce, salad dressing, peanut butter, pizza or pasta sauce, hummus, flavored or plain cream cheese, honey, flavored yogurt, or pudding are just a few suggestions.
Celebrate Special Occasions.
Put a cupcake in your child’s lunchbox for his or her birthday. If you cover the frosting with sprinkles or colored sugar crystals, you can wrap it in plastic wrap without worrying about the frosting sticking.
Decorate your child’s lunch box for a special occasion – birthdays, holidays (even made up ones), or on a day they need to know you’re thinking about them. Put in bits of curled ribbon or make confetti using a shaped paper punch.
Make Every Day Special.
Put in a little note, a fun new pencil or even a small toy such as a Polly Pocket or army men to brighten your child’s day. If you are creative you could make a little crossword puzzle, word jumble, or riddle to put in. Some sweet but healthy dessert items include fruit leather, yogurt-covered raisins and fruit.
