How To Pack Nutritious Lunches Your Kids Will Eat

Be flexible about what constitutes lunch. If your child prefers breakfast foods, let them take whole-grain cereal and chopped fruit and nuts, or hard-boiled eggs and turkey sausage.

Pack flavored milk; research shows children are more likely to drink it over the plain stuff. And even though it adds sugar to your child’s diet, some studies indicate that flavored milk drinkers do not consume more sugar or fat than plain milk drinkers.

If you’re packing raw vegetables, include a tasty dip, like low-fat Ranch dressing, salsa, or hummus. Studies show kids will eat almost anything if they can dip it into something tasty. Let your child choose the vegetables and encourage them to try new ones. Include some fancy toothpicks so they can spear and dip.

Make the food look appetizing by including fruits and vegetables in vibrant colors and cutting them into eye-pleasing shapes. A kid who turns up their nose at a carrot stick might eat carrot curls.

Rethink the traditional sandwich. See if your child will eat their tuna salad between hearts of Romaine, inside a red pepper boat, or on celery stalks.

Don’t bother packing foods you know your child won’t eat; they’ll just get traded or thrown away. Make it your mission to give them the most nutritious alternatives they will devour.