Kids and Lunch

A favorite lunch item around here is peanut butter and jelly, the mainstay of many children’s lunches across the country. My daughter, Nelia, would eat this every day; Lourdes prefers more variety. Mom desires more for their lunches as well, and this meal had to be attacked with the same Momma Bear ferocity as other meals. Could I even trust them to eat what I packed, or would it end up in the garbage?

Nuts are a great lunch idea. However, Nelia only likes sunflower seeds and pistachios; Lourdes will eat almonds, peanuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds (with salt). I’m okay with making concessions like adding a bit of salt to introduce new foods.

Other great lunch ideas to include are whole grains. I’ve sent Lourdes to school with a thermos full of heated barley, upon her request. Barley is very sweet, and the smaller grain can be quite juicy. Whole grain crackers are great too, as well as whole grain bread.

I learned a painful lesson through the experience posted earlier (Parsnips and Rutabaga), so I now know not to introduce too much too soon. I personally love Wasa crackers. So does my husband. I wondered if the girls would approach Wasa with the same zest they gave barley. So, one day, I offered it to them, and they loved it! Now, they would prefer a Cheez-It any day over a Wasa, and I’m good with that. I still pop them in a lunch occasionally.

Here's a lunch I recently made the girls to give you some ideas:

Organic yogurt, Wasa crackers, a pear, nuts and water. This is a great lunch, and it hits all the necessary food groups. 

You probably spotted another concession here. I haven’t been able to get the girls to like soy yogurt. My choices around here are limited. I've only been able to find peach and strawberry soy yogurt. I know they would love vanilla flavor. I've made my own yogurt before, but I'm not willing to go down that road yet. I'll keep looking. In the meantime, sometimes I give them a treat and buy their favorite, Yoplait yogurt: Cotton Candy and Kiwi flavor. Alright. I said it! Now you know the real truth about me. 

In all seriousness, I think concessions like this have to be made so that a revolt does not begin to brew on the horizon. I continually remind myself that this is a journey, not a destination. Any progress in healthy foods leads to a healthier body, and a strong, healthy future for my kids when they are adults. Sometimes I spend extra and buy the organic; they don't really care for this either. I still try to sneak in the soy yogurt occasionally as well. I'm pleased even if they eat a few bites.

Try out some new ideas tomorrow when you’re making lunch. Think outside the traditional, peanut butter and jelly box and see what happens. Hopefully, none of our lunch choices for our kids will end up in the trash. I'd love to hear your ideas, so share some of your successes and failures.