School LunchAugust is upon us and that means it’s time for the dreaded back to school shopping if you have kids in your house!  Hundreds of dollars later, your child reminds you that they also need a new lunch box because they lost theirs at the end of school last year.  Then your stomach sinks realizing that it’s also time to start searching for cute lunch ideas that your kids will actually eat and not trade with their friends.

Decorator NapkinsTrying to find that perfect balance between nutritional yet “cool” lunches for kids can be a challenge.  Interactive, build-your-own meal concepts are showing up in kid’s lunch boxes as well as in many kid-friendly restaurants!  Getting kids involved in hands-on preparation and including many colorful fruits and vegetables, as well as shapes and sizes, keeps their interest piqued.  Simply using a cookie cutter to cut bread out in a fun shape for a sandwich or bite-size cheese cubes with pretzel sticks to spear them keep kids entertained.  For more fun lunch ideas, click on the shish kabob image. 

Catering BoxIncorporating reading, writing, science and math into their lunch box is also possible for added learning.  Letter of the day themed lunches (A is for apple, artichoke, almonds, and albacore tuna), or learning fractions from how many wedges of a quesadilla they ate, make lessons fun.  Write a letter of gratitude to your child on a colorful napkin tucked discreetly in the lunch box, orwrap paper strips around a sandwich bag that says Happy 100thDay of School!  Using 100% compostable containers also makes kids feel important, knowing they are doing their part to help the earth.
 
A little planning now can turn a year’s worth of school lunches into a fun adventure that you and your child can share!