It can be a challenge to keep kids enthusiastic about what’s in their lunchboxes day after day. Switch it up with these tips and tricks, to get them excited about school lunches again.
Most parents know the frustration of opening a lunchbox at the end of the day to find their child has barely touched its contents. It’s especially frustrating when you know they like everything you packed for them. What gives? Frankly, kids get bored when they’re served the same thing on repeat, so they’d rather chat with friends than fuel their bodies for the rest of the school day.
The tricky thing is, though, that lunch is actually critical to student success. Studies show that kids who eat a balanced lunch are able to concentrate and stay focused, improving academic performance. They are also shown to have better mental health, including more energy and enhanced mood. Overall, eating lunch helps kids to maintain their health and wellbeing, reducing risks for things like obesity, and giving them the vitamins and minerals they need to thrive.
So, how can you shake things up to keep kids eating their lunches at school? Keep reading for great tips and tricks, with help from our friends at Hans Dairy.
Let Kids Choose What That Want to Eat
The easiest way to keep kids engaged in lunch is to let them help with packing. Kids are way more likely to eat something they’ve helped to prepare, or that they’ve chosen themselves at the grocery store. Hans Dairy has lots of options to explore, including yogurt, rice pudding, smoothies and lassis (an Indian-style yogurt drink). Hans Dairy also makes makhan, a whipped butter, that can be blended with sweet or savoury mix-ins that can be served with fruits and veggies, or spread onto crackers or flatbread for a lunch box change-up. Check out our instructions for Blissful Berry Butter and Garden Fresh Herb Butter—they’re so easy, your kids can even make these recipes themselves.
Switch Up the Flavours
Don’t assume that your kids don’t like something because they’ve stopped eating it in their lunches. They might just be tired of the flavour. Try different types of cheese, crackers, dips and sandwich fillings. Hans Dairy offers five different flavours of smoothies (strawberry, peach, blueberry, passion fruit and mango) and three different flavours of lassis (sweet, salty-spiced and mango) to keep things interesting.
Keep an Eye on Ingredients
Not all lunchbox options are created equal when it comes to providing the energy kids need to get through the day. Protein-rich foods coupled with fresh fruits and veggies are your best bet for giving your kids the boost they need at the lunch hour. Try poultry, lean meat and dairy products in whatever form your kids like best. But it’s also important to read labels on any pre-packaged products you send along to school. As a general rule, look for items with short ingredient lists featuring names you recognize. Hans Dairy products feature a handful of high-quality ingredients, so you know they are items you can trust.
Getting out of a lunchbox slump can take some trial and error, but in our experience, kids eventually land on something new to get them out of the rut. Check out hansdairy.com for the full product line, as well as delicious recipes to help get you inspired.
