How to Pack Nutrient-Rich and Fun School Lunches: Tips from Elysia Cartlidge, Registered Dietitian

It's that time of year again—back-to-school season, and you know what that means: lunch packing time! While most parents are probably not exactly jumping for joy, it’s important to set our kids up for success by packing them a nutrient-rich lunch to help them stay focused and energized at school. Providing a variety of foods in their lunch ensures they have the energy and staying power they need, keeping them satisfied and in a good mood all day long.

As a mom of two and Registered Dietitian, I understand how overwhelming packing school lunches can be. You have to think about nutrition, appeal (you want your kids to actually eat it!), food safety, variety, and budget. Balancing all of this can feel like a lot, right?

But don’t worry—I’m here to help with a few simple tips about what you should actually be including in those lunch boxes to simplify the process! The good news is, the Yumbox Tapas Leakproof Bento Box and Yumbox Original Leakproof Bento Lunch Box make it super simple to ensure that you’re packing a balanced lunch for your kids since each of these boxes include a variety of compartments. In each lunch box, aim to include: 

1. Vegetables (pack at least one)
• Examples: Raw veggies, leafy greens, cooked veggies, frozen vegetables, homemade salsa, vegetable soup
2. Fruit (pack at least one)
• Examples: Fresh fruit, berries, unsweetened canned fruit, unsweetened fruit and veggie purées, unsweetened dried fruit
3. Protein-rich foods (pack two)
• Examples: Leftover meat or poultry, canned fish, eggs, milk, Greek or regular yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, beans/lentils, seeds or seed butter, tofu or tempeh
4. Whole grain or starchy vegetable (include at least one)
• Examples: Whole grain bread, crackers, homemade granola bar, muffin, oatmeal, whole grain pancakes/waffles, leftover brown rice, whole grain pasta, corn
5. A fun food (include one small portion) - optional
• Examples: Cookie, chips, energy balls, pudding, chocolate chips, etc.

It's important to teach kids that all foods can fit into their day of eating. Even if a food doesn’t offer much nutritional value, it can still make lunch fun and help them develop a healthy relationship with all kinds of food. When all else fails, think about the division of responsibility - it’s the parent’s job to pack the lunch, the child’s job to choose what to eat and in what order, and the teacher’s job to decide when and where the lunch is eaten.

Now that we’ve covered what a balanced lunch looks like, here are some examples of some fun and healthy lunches that you could try packing in your Yumbox Panino!

• Protein waffles spread with chocolate seed butter and chia jam + berries + Greek yogurt
• Fun-shaped sandwich + carrots/snap peas + hummus + watermelon + crunchy cereal
• Chicken bites + honey mustard dipping sauce + sweet potato chips + mini cucumber slices + blueberries 
• Turkey, pepper and cucumber skewers + baby-bel cheese + whole grain tortilla squares + cantaloupe + raspberries
• Leftover grilled chicken + cheese stars + sweet potato crackers + mixed berries + cucumbers
• Pesto noodles + ham and cheese skewers + celery + dip + strawberries
• Falafel pita packed with lettuce and tzatziki + sweet potato chips + apple slices + cucumber flowers + chocolate chips
• Banana French toast sandwich spread with cream cheese, jam + fresh strawberries + blueberries + baby carrots
• Crackers + cheese and mini pepperoni skewers + cucumber hearts + tzatziki + chocolate chip stuffed raspberries
• Cream cheese bagel + honeydew stars + baby carrots + hummus

For more healthy lunch ideas, check out these cold lunchbox ideas for kids!

By Elysia Cartlidge, Registered Dietitian & Founder of Little Healthy Bites