4 Easy Tips & Tricks for Packing School Lunches

by Dr. Emily Lesnak

Did you know that my oldest is starting Kindergarten this Fall?  We are excited for this transition, but I am not very excited about packing his lunch daily.  I don’t even like packing my own lunch.  I thought I would share some tips with you to make this easier if you feel similarly about packing lunches.

1. Get a divided lunch container

Lots of different ones out there that you can choose from, but what I love about these is I can just go through my refrigerator and pantry and fill up the sections with whatever I have on hand.  Just make sure you have a protein and fat to keep them full, carbohydrate for energy, some color from fruits and/or veggies for nutrients, and a little treat to get their appetite going!

2. Include leftovers

Double what you make for dinner so that you can send your little one (and yourself!) with lunch the next day.  What I love about a leftover lunch is that I pack it right away as I am cleaning up dinner so that lunches are made early on and I am not struggling to pack them right before I go to bed - I think this is the trick to making packing lunches easier - the earlier you pack them the less of a struggle it is!

3. Get a helper
Have your child pack lunches with you the night before.  This lets them practice this skill so they know how to build a balanced lunch and it can be less daunting on your part.  If you have one of the divided lunch containers, you can even have designated spots for designated types of food - the large area can be for the protein, smallest area for a treat, etc…  Then, your child knows what goes where and can do it with minimal guidance.

4. Create a visual list

Work together with your child to create a visual list of foods that they like to eat and put in categories (fruit, veg, protein, etc…).  You can even get fancy and laminate it and then they can use it like a menu and choose what they want for their lunch, then no thinking on your part when you pack it!

Give these a try with me and let me know what you think.  Keep an eye out for packing lunches part 2 after I give this a whirl!

Wishing you and your children a good school year!

Dr. Lesnak

PS. Don’t forget to schedule your well child check or physical for school!