School Lunches Buying Guide
Every kid wants to have the best lunch 
at the table, so make sure you pack them something delicious! Keep healthy foods in mind while you are packing; sweet, sugary snacks will just give your child a brief high that will leave them crashing and falling asleep in class in the middle of coloring. Don't have time in the mornings to pack lunch? Well, make something for your child the night before. You can even have them help you out; this way you can make sure that they will eat what they make. See a step-by-step review for packing lunch for your child.
Main Course
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- Sandwich: It may be tempting to go with the common peanut butter and jelly combination, and that's fine, but if you want to include some variety in the lunches you are packing, consider turkey or ham, which usually appeals to kids--and don't forget the cheese! As for bread, kids aren't too likely to eat a wheat bread sandwich (unless that's what they've been raised on) so consider whole-grain white. This way it's still good for children but it tastes similar to white bread.
- Soup: Soup is great for those cold winter days. Keep it in a thermos so it stays warm for lunch time. Make sure you have enough soup inside to make a satisfying lunch, and consider chunkier soups like chicken noodle that will be filling.
- Storage: When packing your sandwiches, it's really important to make sure they don't get squished. Putting your sandwich inside a plastic container is typically your best bet when it comes to this; they are reusable and will keep the sandwich safe. However, tin foil or Saran wrap are your other options.
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Beverage
- Water: Kids aren't tedious about making sure they are getting their daily water intake, so during the warmer months you might want to pack a thermos or bottled water. Use an ice pack to keep it cold, especially during the hot months - no child wants to drink warm water. However, if they really don't enjoy drinking water, you might want to consider some other options so you know that they are at least drinking something with their lunch.
- Juice: Wide is the realm of choices when it comes to flavored drinks for kids! Some drinks are more natural and have less sugar, such as apple juice and Gatorade sips, and others like Capri Sun and Juicy Juice may have a little less fruit and a little more artificial flavoring. If you really can't slip lower-sugar juices into your child's lunchbox, then you may need to go with the sugary drink pouches.
- Caffeine: When packing something like iced tea for your child's lunch, consider the effect that caffeine will have on them throughout the rest of the day. If they don't seem to be overly sensitive to the effects and they enjoy it, you may be able to pack a caffeinated drink. If you think your child's teacher might be unhappy about your hyped-up kid later on, stick to decaf.
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Dessert
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- Fruit Snacks: Some fruit snacks actually contain at least one fruit serving, and they are usually pretty delicious to boot. Welch's has a decent selection, and there are also the kid-oriented snacks such as Gushers.
- Sweets: Most kids really enjoy their sweets, and if they want them, they may just end up trading snacks with someone else at lunch time. Might as well pack what they want once in awhile. A cookie or two or some candy might be enough to satisfy their sugar craving for a little while.
- Healthy Treats: Just because treats are healthy doesn't mean they have to taste bad! While some of them don't appeal to kids, consider dried fruit, lightly salted peanuts, or pumpkin seeds that they might like to munch on.
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Putting It All Together
Now that lunch is all prepared, there are just a few things left to consider. What are you going to pack it in? A lunch box with your child's favorite superhero or cartoon character is a great bet because they can take a lot of beatings (being slammed or thrown on the ground or lunch table). Paper bags may create more waste and sandwiches will break right through on those rainy days. Child too old for a lunch box? Consider a lunch sack that has a velcro opening at the top--slightly more sophisticated but still practical. So pack up those colored pencils, crayons, and paper, and your child is ready to go!
After-School Snacks
If you eat dinner around 5:00 or 6:00 at night and your child gets home from school around 3:00, they are going to want a snack before they sit down to do their homework. Here are a few ideas:
Supplies
Make your child has everything they need before they sit down to do homework. Don't forget to pick up those school supplies.
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