Healthy Back to School Lunches in 3 Steps!!

Lunches they will actually eat!!

Well its official, its Back to School time, and with that comes the challenge of providing our children with not only nourishing lunches, but lunches they will actually eat!! As a mom of 4 children, and Nutritionist I know the struggles families face when it comes to packing healthy meals at school!
 
One of the biggest concerns I have for school age children is the amount of processed foods that can find their way into their lunch boxes.  Now, I will also share that my children’s lunches are never perfect, and yes we do purchase granola bars and the occasional treats, BUT what I am talking about is the highly processed lunches that are mostly packaged foods, full of preservatives, colouring, flavourings and frankly chemicals that will NOT help your children focus!
 
With so many children diagnosed with learning and attention challenges, and as a mom and Nutritionist, I always tell my clients to start with what you are packing them! If you want to learn more about foods that help them focus you can read this article here.
 
If you want to help them to focus, then you must understand they need stable blood sugar and clean nutrition to fuel their brain. In order for this to happen we have to begin by providing them with healthy lunchbox options. Now for the moms of picky eaters who are about to leave this article, hang tight!!! I got your back with this one!!  Here’s the thing, often for our picky eaters, it has a lot to do with the flavour enhancers, sugars, and chemicals that our children’s processed foods are loaded with, not the whole foods!
 
Think about it this way, do you get the same taste, and physical response from eating an apple as you do eating Doritos? Children’s foods are so loaded with chemicals and sugars, their body’s start to expect the chemical reaction and intense taste every time they eat something.  If the food you are providing them does not offer that chemical/sugar reaction, then it often ends up on the no list! But there is a way to help re-wire them!
 
The challenge is to eliminate the processed options and work with your children on what they DO want in their lunches without offering the flavoured and food colouring heavy foods. Which actually brings me to Tip #1!

​TIP #1
Create a Lunch Box Plan, and Let them choose!
This is the first step. The old is no longer an option, so you will need a lunch box idea’s chart to help them choose the items they want in their lunches.  You can use this form (above), or if you are a Pinterest mom, sit down with your child/ren and scroll through healthy lunch idea’s and make a list! This list will be one of your most valuable healthy eating tools!
 
If you were to work one on one with me for your own personal health goals, the fist thing I would do is help you create a menu to follow, in order to help you eat the right foods. The same thing needs to happen in your home around your children’s lunches.  Have a plan, and you are way more likely to stick to it.  Also when you have a list of healthy lunch options ready to go, it makes planning for your week way easier!! And it will also help you to eliminate the processed foods that can decrease their ability to focus, and offer ZERO nutritional value!!
 
p.s. Zero Nutrition value foods actually ROB your child’s body of its stored nutrients in order for these processed foods to be broken down and eliminated.  This can lead to concerns like a weakened immune systems, and decreased nutrients available for healthy brain function.  Too much processed sugar also causes blood sugar spikes, which can lead to hyperactivity, followed by a blood sugar low, which can cause lethargy and lack of focus!

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TIP #2
Plan Your Shopping.  
This is just as important as number one, and should be based on the healthy lunch choices each week. The trick is to create routine around what day you grocery shop. For our family we shop weekly and only after we have our healthy menu planned, which is done on the same day each week.  Now before you feel unqualified to write your family’s menu, let me start with, A planned week will ALWAYS be a healthier week than an unplanned one! The moment you start planning for healthier, and less processed meals and snacks, and then shop for those particular foods, the sooner your entire family will start eating more of the right foods!
 
Click Here to Download my Menu Planning and Grocery Shopping Meal Plans!
 
TIP #3
Do weekly Prep.  
If you are rolling your eyes over this one, stay with me!! This is the step most families miss, and it’s really the one that determines if little Jimmy is getting a lunch full of pre-packaged food, or a healthy lunch!! The BIGGEST challenge I see in most families when it comes to healthy eating is a total lack of time.  I get it! That's why so many Canadian families are eating WAAAAAY to much processed foods and in my opinion that is a huge contributor to why we have so many issues with attention deficit disorders, immune and gut health issues, and even the big scary ones like Cancer!  
 
EVERYTHING YOU PUT INTO YOUR BODY DETERMINES HOW IT FUNCTIONS.  If we plan for the right foods, shop for the right foods, the final step is we need is to prep the right foods.  Since time constraints are a real issue for busy families, I suggest a non-negotiable weekly time slot for prep time.  Setting aside an hour a week, same day, preferable same time, you can create routine around getting your children’s healthy lunch set up for the week, which WILL reduce stress and time in helping them eat the right foods!
 
So what will you be prepping?
 
Here are my favourite weekly foods to prep for healthy lunches!

• Vegan Protein Balls.  These nourishing balls are a cross between cookies and granola bars and are crazy easy to make!!! We make protein ball recipes such as: “raw” cookie dough, carrot cake balls, raw macaroons, Chocolate granola, Lemon Drop and more!!  We even run Raw Protein Ball Classes where you can make and take home up to 20 balls of 4 difference recipes!! Most of these are mix all ingredients into a bowl, stir, roll and freeze!  Want to join our next class? Message me here
• Homemade Pasta Salad.  Gluten Free or whole-wheat noodles, diced veggies and a light dressing make this a fun addition to any lunch box!!
• Muffins. We make 2 dozen homemade muffins each week and freeze them once they are cool!! Each morning, we throw a muffin, and protein balls into their lunches.
• Cut up veggies. Grab some good veggie containers and cut up carrots, peppers, broccoli, and celery.  This makes grabbing a handful each day quick and easy!! We also have washed cherry tomatoes and sliced cucumbers ready.  WE service with a little container or organic ranch dressing on the side!
• Dice Fruit. Like veggies we also cut up pineapple, cantaloupe and wash and portion grapes.  We also like to add Raisins, dried apricots and fresh berries to lunches.  The goal is to have 2-3 servings of fresh fruits and veggies each day in their lunch box.
• Homemade granola.  Now with so many great organic granola mixes at the local grocery store you may choose not to make your own, but granola is a great topping for yogurt in your child’s lunch.  We pack a container of yogurt and add frozen berries to the top of it.  We then pack a side container of granola they can add in during snack!
• Homemade Salsa. Again there are some great natural salsas in the deli section of most grocery stores. We like to send salsa and some organic corn chips on Fridays as a treat!
• Homemade soup. Usually midweek we are stuck with a bunch of veggies that are slowly wilting, and we love to make a simple homemade vegetable soup that then become lunch on Thursdays and Fridays! If you have picky kids, let them help make the soup!! Children are usually much more open to eating food they have participated in preparing!
• Freezer Bag Smoothies. We like to bag up, baggies of ingredients for healthy smoothies! Every morning before we leave for school drop off I blend up a smoothie with our Complete powder, soy or almond milk and a pre-made bag of smoothie ingredients. This ensures my children are leaving the house with a belly full of plant nutrition and bolstered immune systems!

 
Ok, so I know this is a lot of information!! Take some time to revisit this article with a pen and paper and make a list of things you want to do before school starts.  Or if you found this mid-year, make a list of what you know you want to improve on. Sit and make a list of healthy options your children want in their lunch, plan your lunch menu each week, shop for the items you need, and set aside 60 minutes a week to get your prep done and I promise you, you will be so proud of the healthy lunches you are sending your children to school with!!
 
Need some one on one support? Connect with me here and we can set a time for a telephone or zoom chat!

I want to help Families eat healthy and live healthy. I know the challenges of a busy lifestyle and I know that our health as a whole suffers when we don't find the time to create realistic soltuions. I am the Nutritionist for REAL Families.  Thank you for Reading and sharing my articles!! Be Sure to follow me on Facebook!
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