Packing school lunch boxes is easy, said no parent ever. Unlike adults, who eat almost every food group, unless expressly detested, children aged 6 to 8 rarely finish their plate or their portions of fresh vegetables or fruit desserts. This is so, because, in their mind, there is a negative emotion associated with healthy foods, while positive emotions emerge when they think of fast food.
Therefore, it is important to stop rewarding kids with ‘tasty’ foods for good behavior, and homemade vegetables to ‘teach a lesson’. A better way of establishing a balanced diet is by calculating their daily calorie requirements according to age, and then sorting their daily portions of vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fiber. This way, your child will have a lower risk of incurring lifestyle diseases and remain fit and healthy.
Since it is summer, try to pack balanced lunches that will not get spoiled in their school bags. Pack dressings and dairy separately. Create balanced meals for your second graders with these general guidelines, to make the perfect school lunchbox.
This delicious German black forest cake-inspired recipe is very easy to make at home and will win your child’s heart when they open their lunchbox at school. Simply combine rolled oats, vegan milk of choice, ground flaxseeds, almond butter, cocoa powder, almond extract, homemade cherry pie filling, and Greek Yogurt in a bowl, before transferring to a mason jar, alternating layers of cherry pie filling, chocolate chunks, and the rest of the oats. Store in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, and get a luscious lunchbox meal ready for your kids next morning.
This is an easy way of incorporating fruits and vegetables into your second grader’s diet while keeping their nutrition intact. Skewer slices of raw vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, and more, alternating them with pieces of grilled paneer and balls of mozzarella cheese. Prepare a homemade dressing with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and add on the side. In the case of fruits, it becomes easier, with fruits, and dates alternately skewered, with honey served on the side. If you are feeling fancy, you can also add a few berries dipped in dark chocolate to delight your second graders.
Packing lunchboxes is becoming an art nowadays, and for good reason. Both nutrition and aesthetic beauty are important to allure kids into making the right choices at school. With the multiple temptations of packaged food all around, only your loving culinary efforts and these guidelines can keep second graders steady on a balanced diet.