Packing your child's lunch bag with healthy foods may be as important as exercise in this age of growing obesity and diabetes in children. I have discovered a number of excellent tips for making healthy lunches and snacks for children. The most important rule is to only use insulated lunch bags. You can pack a lot more fresh ingredients into your kid's lunch by choosing a insulated lunch box that also comes with a freezer pack.
Insulated Lunch Bags for Kids will Keep Food Fresh.
Before you decide on your choice of insulated lunch totes, let's look at good ways to make healthy lunches. First of all, you must be organized. It helps a great deal if you write out a menu or some recipes since you then know what you will have to buy. Spend some time making items for the school week ahead of time. Hard boil eggs, slice vegetables, make trail mix, and do other prep depending on your menu. Spend a little time prepping again midweek to insure freshness and to vary the choices. Kids get bored with the same diet all week.
Don't Send Too Much Food to School.
Another thing to consider, don't overestimate how much food your child will eat. School lunchroom workers say that kids throw away a great deal of the food sent with them. A sandwich with four ounces of protein plus several servings of fruit or vegetables are plenty for elementary school children. Avoid sugar treats and serve fruits with something fun like stickers or a cartoon. Kids should understand that dessert doesn't need to follow every meal.
Involve your Child in Making the Menu.
Get your kids involved in food choices. Take your child to the grocery store and see what kind of food they pick out. Kids are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables if they make the choice. Pack small containers of crackers, cheese, tuna salad, ham, etc. and let your kid make his own mini sandwiches. Include some containers of vegetables with dip.
Say No to Lead and BPA.
You must make sure your lunch tote or lunch box is lead free and water bottles are BPA free. Most manufacturers have been warned and made changes but still some lunch bags contain lead. If the lining of a lunch bag is PVC, there is a good chance that it does contain lead.
Some Kids Lunch Bags We Recommend.
You will like the convenience of the Cool Tote Lunch Sacks since they are easy to clean at the kitchen sink, fold for simple storage and come in a variety of colorful themes. Of course, if your child is a fan of cartoon character boxes you could choose Hello Kitty, Thomas the Tank or Sesame Street Elmo. These cartoon lunch boxes have plenty of room to hold containers and come with a water bottle. Also popular right now are lunch boxes that come with washable reusable containers. The Laptop Lunch System and a new arrival, the Easy Lunch Box both include these reusable containers. If you use a Cool Tote Lunch Sack or other lunch tote, use different sized reusable plastic containers similar to Tupperware to accomplish the same objective. The Built NY Tasty Lunch Tote is also a great item for kids.
Millie Clancy is the owner of Coollunchbags.com which has the best selection of insulated lunch bags on the web. We offer free freezer packs with all our lunch bags, and all are lead free. Check out the Easy Lunch Box. Packing lunches for kids couldn't be easier.
Insulated Lunch Bags for Kids will Keep Food Fresh.
Before you decide on your choice of insulated lunch totes, let's look at good ways to make healthy lunches. First of all, you must be organized. It helps a great deal if you write out a menu or some recipes since you then know what you will have to buy. Spend some time making items for the school week ahead of time. Hard boil eggs, slice vegetables, make trail mix, and do other prep depending on your menu. Spend a little time prepping again midweek to insure freshness and to vary the choices. Kids get bored with the same diet all week.
Don't Send Too Much Food to School.
Another thing to consider, don't overestimate how much food your child will eat. School lunchroom workers say that kids throw away a great deal of the food sent with them. A sandwich with four ounces of protein plus several servings of fruit or vegetables are plenty for elementary school children. Avoid sugar treats and serve fruits with something fun like stickers or a cartoon. Kids should understand that dessert doesn't need to follow every meal.
Involve your Child in Making the Menu.
Get your kids involved in food choices. Take your child to the grocery store and see what kind of food they pick out. Kids are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables if they make the choice. Pack small containers of crackers, cheese, tuna salad, ham, etc. and let your kid make his own mini sandwiches. Include some containers of vegetables with dip.
Say No to Lead and BPA.
You must make sure your lunch tote or lunch box is lead free and water bottles are BPA free. Most manufacturers have been warned and made changes but still some lunch bags contain lead. If the lining of a lunch bag is PVC, there is a good chance that it does contain lead.
Some Kids Lunch Bags We Recommend.
You will like the convenience of the Cool Tote Lunch Sacks since they are easy to clean at the kitchen sink, fold for simple storage and come in a variety of colorful themes. Of course, if your child is a fan of cartoon character boxes you could choose Hello Kitty, Thomas the Tank or Sesame Street Elmo. These cartoon lunch boxes have plenty of room to hold containers and come with a water bottle. Also popular right now are lunch boxes that come with washable reusable containers. The Laptop Lunch System and a new arrival, the Easy Lunch Box both include these reusable containers. If you use a Cool Tote Lunch Sack or other lunch tote, use different sized reusable plastic containers similar to Tupperware to accomplish the same objective. The Built NY Tasty Lunch Tote is also a great item for kids.
Millie Clancy is the owner of Coollunchbags.com which has the best selection of insulated lunch bags on the web. We offer free freezer packs with all our lunch bags, and all are lead free. Check out the Easy Lunch Box. Packing lunches for kids couldn't be easier.