The mama’s guide to packing kids lunches during Corona: A nutritionist’s solution to ending lunchtime madness

This has been a stressful school year, and my kids have only been in school for a month! Virtual learning is no walk in the park and I am definitely missing traditional school! Although I prefer in-person learning, I remember the stress that went into the morning rush to get out the door on time. Whether your kids are doing in-person school, virtual learning, or homeschooling this year, I know we can all agree that we want to nourish them with a healthy lunch that provides them with the energy to do their best.

Doesn’t that sound dreamy? Sending our kids off with the perfectly packed lunch filled with all organic foods that will fuel their minds and bodies. That’s not exactly how things go in my house! I have picky, sugar-obsessed kids, just like you! We are normally crazy busy and don’t have time to make Pinterest perfect lunches every day.

Despite all the struggles, I’ve found a few key tips to make sure my kids have a healthy lunch that makes me feel good about what they’re eating and that they will be happy to eat! I want to share those strategies with you so that you have a quick and easy guide to lunchtime!

Get in the habit of packing lunches the night before - even if you’re doing virtual school

First and foremost, I want lunch to be stress-free for your family because if it’s too stressful, then you won’t do it. Right? I know anything that adds more stress to my own plate isn’t worth it, so I want this to be a good experience for you and your family!

The best way to do this is to prep lunches the night before! You don’t want to be putting lunches together while trying to serve breakfast, shower, get the kids to brush their teeth and looking for the last piece of homework. Phew. No, that just won’t work!

Instead, set aside 20 minutes the night before to pack lunches. The key to this is to commit to it and make it a habit. It’s so easy to put it off for later. But, we just went over why that’s a bad idea, so don’t fall into temptation! Decide on a time that works best for your family and stick to it! Keep that promise to yourself so you can better serve yourself and your family!

Even though my kids are doing online school right now, we are still packing lunches every night! I’m doing this so that we have an easy flow during the day. They still only get a set amount of time for lunch, so I want them to have lunch prepped and ready to go so they can eat as soon as class is out.

Get your kids involved!

The next step is to get your kids involved. Mama, you do not need to put one more thing on your plate. It’s beyond full. Your kids can be responsible for packing lunch! 

My three kids all pack their own lunches, including my 6-year-old, who started packing her own lunch when she was in kindergarten! While my kids can do this on their own now, that wasn’t always the case!

For the first little bit, you may have to help them. You can guide them and teach them on how to pack a lunch. You will play a role in this, but over time it will become something that they can tackle on their own.

It’s critical to get your kids involved, not just to take something off your plate, but when they pack their own lunches, they’re more likely to eat them! Getting to choose what to eat creates an investment in it!

If you make your son a PB&J, and he doesn’t eat it you’re upset, right? But if he decide to eat a PB&J and makes the sandwich himself, he has accomplished something. He’s excited about it and he ends up eating it! The sandwich didn’t change, his attitude did! That’s the key! We have to help our kids get excited about the food they eat. And planning and prepping their own food is a pivotal part of that!

A healthy lunch equation

I know those of us mamas with picky eaters struggle with how to get our kids to eat a healthy lunch. We may be pros at packing the night before and getting our kids involved but getting our kids to actually eat the food can be an uphill battle.

When I approach my kids’ lunches I make sure that it fits my standards and is something they can be excited about. Here’s the equation I use to pack a healthy lunch for my kids.

Protein + Vegetable + Carbs + Sweet Treat OR Sweet Drink

We use Bentgo boxes to pack our lunches so I tell my kids they use the biggest part for their protein. I also use this time to explain why we eat protein first and how it’s going to help them. 

Next, I tell my kids they have to have at least one veggie in their lunch. My son hates veggies, but even he has to pack some. Most of the time he packs three carrots and that’s all the veggies he’ll eat at lunch. But we both know that he’s gotten some veggies in and we feel good about that!

The third portion is for a carb or starch. I let my kids pick this and sometimes they pick less healthy foods like chips. Other times they choose something healthy like berries. I don’t fight with them on it, but we try to balance it out. For example, if they chose chicken nuggets for their protein, I’ll suggest veggies since their protein is breaded. 

Finally, I let my kids have a sweet treat. I give them the option of using their sweet for food or a drink. If they choose food, something like fruit snacks, then they drink water for lunch. If they choose a drink, like Gatorade or a Capri Sun, then they don’t have a food treat. It’s ok for our kids to have sugar, but we just want them to see how much sugar they’re eating and help direct them to keep that a small part of their diets. 

If you struggle coming up with lunch ideas, then check out my KmoreRedefined Monthly membership. Last month, I chatted with Shannon of KISS in the Kitchen and she shared some invaluable resources on lunch ideas for the whole family! You can get access to that class (August 2020) exclusively in the KmoreRedefined membership program

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