Packing your kids' lunch to school can pose some challenge at times. You have to make sure that they are not just delcious, but also nutritious so they'll come home with their lunchboxes empty. Good thing, getting the hang of packing kid lunches becomes easy over time. Just remember not to stay away from doing these things, and you'll be fine!
Packing Excessive Food and Wasting Leftovers Along the Way
As Parenting.com suggested, observing what your kids eat over the weekends gives you a clear idea as to the amount of lunch food to pack for school. Packing excessive food leads to leftover waste after your kids get home. A sandwich, three snacks, two fruits, milk or juice and a little dessert are all your kid needs to get through the day.
Failure to Balance Protein-Based and Carbohydrate-Based Foods
Too many carbohydrates with little or no protein will make your kids hungry too soon after lunch is over. You can balance carbohydrate-rich foods with those rich in proteins for your kids' snacks. Granola bars and yogurts are afternoon snacks that are rich in protein.
Not Thinking and Planning in Advance
Not thinking in advance about dinner for the day tends to make you fail in packing good food for your kids' lunch. For instance, packing in spaghetti for your kids' lunch is not a good idea if they're having lasagna for dinner. Excessive carbs intake does not keep your kids in good shape.
Packing Messy Foods for Younger Kids
Younger kids need to get used to and learn how to eat without making a mess. You won't be with your kids while they have their lunch in school, so pack less messy foods for kids 5 years old and below. As Workathomemoms.about.com revealed, kids do get embarrassed when they make a mess out of themselves while eating. Stay on the safer side by avoiding packing ketchups, mayonnaise and soups in your kids' lunch boxes.
Not Following a Lunch Box Plan that Has Always Worked
Diverting to a plan that has always worked in packing your kids' lunch is the usual leftover culprit. Once you find a lunch box plan that has always worked in the past, stick to it for a certain time, as suggested in Wildblueberries.com. If you find that your kids never have leftover chicken sandwiches for lunch, you may want to pack any chicken meals more often in a week. You need to be alert in observing how long this plan will work for your kids, though and make sure to give them variety so they won't easily get sick of the food you usually pack for them just because they don't have leftovers when they have those.
Be meticulous and hands-on in getting things together for your kids before they leave for school every day. Avoiding the mistakes mentioned here is the key to making kid lunches easy to pack for just about any parent.
