Packing and making lunches can be a chore, but it can also be fun if you throw some creativity into it!
I love these “bento box” style lunch boxes. The blue topped one is by Ziplock and I just got it at the grocery store. The other one is from Aldi. They were inexpensive. We like to put all the food in these boxes, then add them to a cooler with ice packs. These stay sealed really well and they’re great for picnics and road trips too!
Here are some creative ideas for making lunch boxes more fun!
1. Wrap It Up
Sandwiches are great, but sometimes it’s fun to switch things up a bit! I love using tortillas (whole wheat or white flour) to make wraps. You can fill these with chicken salad, lunch meat, tuna fish, leftover grilled chicken, pulled pork, hummus, or anything else! Leave it as a wrap, or slice it into little pinwheels. You can also use a piece of bread this way, like I did here with bread and peanut butter. The little bite-size pieces are fun to eat! You can use sunflower seed butter if you have a family member with a nut allergy or you’re packing for a peanut-free school.
2. Dip It
Encourage kids to eat their veggies by providing a fun dipping option. Vera loves creamy feta dressing, but you could also use ranch dressing, hummus, or another bean dip. Provide veggies in slices or strips for easy dipping!
3. Cut Shapes
I grabbed a set of tiny cookie cutters from Amazon, and it was amazing to see how much star-shaped watermelon delighted Vera! She even helped cut it out (with supervision). We made little “skewers” (toothpicks) with watermelon and blueberries. They were easy to eat, but so very cute! We also used another cutter to form little cheese “coins.” It didn’t take long, but it was something special and fun for the girls! If you don’t have time to cut shapes out of cheese, cheese sticks are always a hit as well!
4. Perfect Portions
Use silicone muffin tin liners to section off the lunch box further and provide perfect portions! Chips are popular in lunches, but popcorn is a healthier option when you air pop it at home. Scoop some into a muffin liner for just the right amount! These liners are also perfect for cheddar snack crackers or a sweet treat.
5. Switch It Up
Anything when eaten every day has the potential of becoming boring, so change it up using seasonal fruits and veggies and whatever foods you have on hand! I think variety and trying new foods frequently is important in raising kids who aren’t picky. It’s fun to be adventurous! We usually drink water with meals, but sometimes we switch it up and drink milk!
6. Eat Your Colors
When it comes to food, the more NATURALLY colorful, the better! Red watermelon, blue blueberries, green cucumbers, orange carrots… all of these provide important vitamins and nutrients, plus, they are so pretty to look at! Even using colorful muffin liners can help make kids excited about their lunch!
According to Vera, this was the “best lunch ever!” (She takes after her father in her enthusiasm.) Here is what she and Cordelia ate:
Our table looked so colorful!
I made my lunch in a bento box too, and it really was more fun to eat! Most days I’m eating chickpeas straight out of the can for lunch, so it was great to sit down and enjoy a balanced meal.
I pack lunches for Tad two days a week (he works from home the other days), and this project gave me a lot of ideas for ways to not be in a “rut” when making his lunches either!
In case you were wondering, the “scraps” from cutting the fruit and cheese into shapes did not go to waste! Jude was happy to polish it off for us, since he doesn’t care what shape his food is in yet!
For more lunch box ideas, follow Lunch Box Love on Pinterest!
You can also follow Horizon Organic (below) for coupons and ideas for family fun.
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.
