5 easy hacks for more healthy kid lunches
Nothing makes me happier than handing my kids a bowl of sliced fruits and vegetables, watching them gobble it down, and then ask for more.
Except that’s literally never happened. My husband seems to be on a one-man mission to make our kids’ entire diet cookies and crackers, so I have to resort to, ahem, sneakier methods to get vitamins into my kids. Speaking of vitamins, I also grind up Flintstones and stir them into their morning oatmeal. No shame in my game.
If you struggle getting your kids to eat food that doesn’t come in a wrapper, here are five tricks for healthy kid lunches that help me keep my gremlins eating the good stuff.
1. Throw some greens on that bitch.
One of my favorite lunches is chicken and stars soup. I used to eat a can of chicken and stars and a BLT for lunch every day. When I mentioned that in conversation with a classmate, she looked at me with the disdain I deserved for my lack of self-awareness, and asked, “Do you think that might be why you have high blood pressure?” That prompted me to start reforming the meals I was eating to include more potassium and counteract all that sodium.
What’s my favorite quick and easy lunch now? A can of chicken and stars soup with a cup of raw kale stirred in before I microwave it. Store-bought fresh salsa also works. True to toddler form, all my kids have to do is see me eat it, and they want some, too. I’ve started sneaking frozen chopped kale and spinach into every soup and sauce they get. It’s a home run every time.
2. Greek yogurt. I put that shit on everything.
When we adopted our oldest son from Ukraine (not “the Ukraine,” that really pisses Ukrainian people off) literally all he ate was soft foods. I can’t blame him; the kid was 18 months old with no teeth. We needed to get calories and protein into him fast, but that was a real challenge for a person who thinks applesauce is too crunchy. Enter Greek yogurt.
3. Sneak fruits and vegetables into sandwiches.
A lot of fruit tastes pretty great on a peanut butter sandwich. Peanut butter banana is a classic, but peanut butter apple and peanut butter berry work just as well. I know it sounds weird, but is it really any weirder than jelly made from grapes or strawberries? And in sneaky sandwich world, grilled cheese isn’t just for tomatoes: try broccoli with cheddar, or eggplant, tomato and basil with provolone.
4. Speaking of sandwiches, ditch the bread.
Sure, there’s lettuce wraps. But halved peppers, hollowed-out cucumbers and baked potatoes are also excellent vehicles for sandwich toppings. *runs off to eat tuna salad on celery sticks* Just to be clear, I’m not suggesting that you put your kid on a Whole30, only that if all your kid wants to eat is cookies, this is one way to make their diet more well-rounded.
5. Fun dip. Not the candy kind.
Serve cut up fruits and vegetables with a dollop of a bunch of different dips: ranch, yogurt, Cheez Wiz, Nutella, nut butters, salsa, cream cheese, marshmallow fluff. You get the idea. Let them dip the healthy stuff in the less healthy stuff. They’ll have fun coming up with different flavor combinations. And even if your kids are like mine and initially only use the veggies as a vehicle for the dip, don’t worry. It won’t take long until they slip up and put the whole bite in their mouth.
Do you have any tricks for healthy kid lunches of your own? Share them in the comments.
A malcontent with a heart of gold, Tierra is a first-year medical student, former high school teacher and history PhD candidate, plus mom to four of Bebe’s baddest kids. She curses a lot. Tierra is a DC native but lives in southwest Michigan and will happily exchange writing (hers) for cash (yours).
