I got a note sent home with my oldest daughter when she was in kindergarten, asking me to kindly only send only healthy snacks to school with my child. With three picky kids, school guidelines to follow, and umpteen packed school lunches later, here are some mom-approved snacks for lunch that won’t get you a letter sent home! These are my suggestions for snacks in addition to the main (usually a sandwich, soup or leftovers) for a balanced lunch.
FRUIT. Always. At least one fruit. I like to take my kids to the grocery store with me so they can pick out the fruits they like. It is mostly the same every week, the usual – apples, bananas. But some weeks they are feeling watermelon, grapes, raspberries, blueberries or strawberries. If I let them make the choice, they actually eat it. Now that my girls are in grades 3 and 5, they pack their own school snacks, so its really important for me to buy what they like, so I don’t have to throw out or waste anything, and they actually put it in their lunch!
VEGGIES! I find this is the food group that is the hardest to get my kids to eat – except at lunch! They love those little mini carrots with a ranch dip on the side (most grocery stores carry individual sized ones that you can throw in their lunch kit!). My oldest even likes raw broccoli – this month she does, anyway. They also love the little mini cucumbers! Easy to pack and they always eat them at school.
Granola Bars. They may have a lot of sugar, but they’re better than a chocolate bar. And when you have picky eaters, it’s just an easy thing to throw in. I have my girls pick out their favorites of these too, so Mom’s choice doesn’t sit in the cupboard until it’s expired.
Welch’s Fruit Snacks. Not only are they delicious (I’ve eaten a pack or two myself, haha), but the first ingredient in them is fruit. Plus my kids love the flavour! These are easy to throw into their lunch bags as something I know they will eat.
Hopefully I can still follow this plan when this all still works when my toddler finally goes to school, she is by far my pickiest eater. Although, she is also the most… let’s say… “adventurous” of my three kids (she gives me the hardest time!), so I guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing if the letter I am getting from the teacher is about our choice of lunch snacks, not because she climbed onto the roof or drew on the walls (she saves that for our play room at home, can you see me rolling my eyes through the screen…), or did something else completely crazy.