The Ultimate Guide to Packing Plant-Based Lunches for Back to School

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With back to school upon us, it’s a good time to take inventory of our pantry and refrigerator and create a plan to provide nutritious lunches for our active, growing children. It’s a busy time for families, that’s why I’ve created these easy tips to help you feel less overwhelmed when add packing a lunch to your already over-scheduled calendar. A healthy, well balanced lunch provides energy and fuel for their bodies so they can focus and learn at their best all day. And while you’re at it, you may as well pack yourself a lunch as well!

 

Top Tips

#1 Balance Out Nutrition

Make sure you have a main course, vegetable, and fruit. Together they should cover the food groups of protein, fruit, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats.

#2 Balance Flavors and Textures

Crunchy, creamy, chewy, juicy, sweet, and tangy. Also, create balance by pairing heavier filling foods with lighter refreshing ones.

#3 Balanced Effort

While you strive to keep the selection whole foods and homemade, it’s ok to take advantage of pre-packaged items available at the grocery store. Individually packaged baby carrots, sliced apples, broccoli, cauliflower, and unsweetened applesauce servings are definitely time-savers. This isn’t about being perfect, it’s about providing balanced nutrition while helping our kids to thrive while keeping our own stress levels low.

#4 Prep Ahead

Cut fruits and veggies when you bring them home and store in air-tight containers in the fridge. This makes it easier to grab and pack that whole food plant-based lunch!

#5 Be Efficient

Create an assembly line and fill containers with the same items, making small adjustments as needed for those picky veggie eaters. But the main component would all be the same.

#6 Use Up Leftovers

Dinner leftovers make great additions to Buddha Bowls and Veggie Wraps.

#7 Keep It Simple

Don’t overthink school lunch planning. If your kids don’t mind eating PB & J everyday for a week, by all means, make that! Change up the bread slices to a bagel or a wrap such as this Banana Walnut Wrap.

#8 Don’t Make Unnecessary Work

There are no awards going out for mother of the year when it comes to school lunches. Save yourself the trouble of creating cookie cutter dinosaur sandwiches and flower shaped fruit. If you want to do something special, draw a flower or make a note on their napkin.

#9 Pack Age Appropriate Quantities

The amount of food you include will depend on the age of your child and their typical appetite. Be sure to cut food into manageable pieces for those little ones.

#10 Get Your Kids Involved in Planning and Packing

Packing a healthy lunch box is the easy part, getting your kids to actually eat it on the other hand can be a challenge. If you’re up for it, take them grocery shopping with you and have them pick out the fruits and veggies they would like that week. Make it a game to try one new thing from the produce aisle on a certain day each week! For example, implement Fresh Friday. Add a new item every Friday and consider pairing it with something you know they love or even a small treat as a reward.

#11 Let’s Not Forget Food Safety

Be sure to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Use reusable ice packs for cold items and a Thermos for hot items.

#12 Clean-Up and Utensils

Don’t forget to pack a napkin and utensils and a leak proof water bottle! Reusable napkins and reusable utensils will be most cost effective in the long run…that is if your kids remember to bring them home and not accidentally throw them away!

Food Ideas

I hope you found this article helpful in providing a few lunch planning ideas to help get your kids out the door with a filling and nutritious packed lunch.

Lynn Collins

Certified Plant-Based Lifestyle Educator

http://www.plantempoweredwellness.com
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