It’s that time of the year again! Kids are back to school, and we are eager to pack nutritious lunches that our kiddos will actually eat at lunch break. Here are 3 tips that you may want to try to guarantee your lunchbox comes home empty:

1. Involve the kids

• Discuss options: Sit with your kids and make a table with five columns representing for the various food groups (veggies, fruits, grain, protein, dairy or plant-based dairy). Fill those 5 columns together. I like to add some pictures in front of each column option so that my kid can see right away what their options are. In the evening you can ask your kids to choose from that menu you created together for the following day.

• Get them involved! My kids looove preparing their lunchboxes when they have time to do so. Ask them to help you cut the veggies or the fruits, cook simple main dish with you or just read the “option list” you created together and fetch you the ingredients for their lunchbox. They will be so proud to eat their lunch at school!

2. Make it easy to eat!

• Small bites are easier to grab and quicker to eat when they are lots of distraction around you. Consider using a cutter or making sandwich skewers. Pack small veggies and fruits or cut them into bite size.
• Put everything in one place – using several containers add complexity at lunch time so use a bento lunchbox with compartments like PlanetBox Lunchboxes. Having the entire lunch in front of them will help the kids focusing on eating it!

3. Make it fun!

If lunch is a happy moment, chances are higher that the lunchbox comes back empty. It does not take much to add a little fun to the lunchbox:

• Pack colorful veggies and fruits
• Use cutters to create fun shapes
• Use silicon pods to create small portions and offer more variety
• Use decorative food picks (if you child is old enough and school allows it)           • Create a themed lunch : seasonal, holidays, animals, colors or even educational by packing food from a specific country!