Pack It With Love

Maybe the hardest thing about back to school for all mothers is packing lunches….particularly if you happen to have a picky eater.

Years ago my children jumped out of the car in such a hurry one morning that all their lunches were left on the floor of the back seat.  I didn’t realize what had happened until I was miles away clear across town and knew I would never be able to make it back in time to get their lunches to them during their lunch period.  So I called my dear sister-in-law and asked her if she could help me out by picking up lunch from McDonald’s and dropping it off for them at school.  Wanting to be helpful and be sure they had a more nutritious lunch, she decided to make them lunch instead.  The thought was very gracious and kind but she made them each a sandwich she happened to love…..liverwurst!!!!  They took one bite and gagged and the very strict “lunch lady” on duty that day wouldn’t let them get up to play until they had eaten at least 1/2 of their sandwiches.  They tried to explain that there must have been some big mistake but she insisted that “if that was the lunch your mother packed, she must have wanted you to eat it.”  When I picked them up after school that day they wanted to know if  I had decided that I hated them or was trying to kill them!  Why would I ever give them a lunch of liverwurst????  We have laughed about that faux pas for years…they still hate any kind of liver sandwich.

Knowing what your children will and won’t eat on any given day can be a real challenge.  So if you are the mother of a child who will eat just about anything, be grateful….ohhh so grateful!!!  Figuring out a solution to bring about world peace can seem like child’s play compared to coming up with new ideas that are healthy and appetizing…then throw in the fact that many schools now ban peanut butter due to the ever growing problem of allergic reactions to nuts, and it seems that there should be a Noble prize awarded for creative school lunches!

Your Chums have scoured the internet in search of some ideas to offer you on this subject.  One of the best sites we came across is Wendolonia.   The writer suggests keeping a printed list of food possibilities on the fridge so that as you are trying to think about what to make or what to pack you can be reminded of some of the options.  The mom who writes this site also has packaged the lunches in attractive bento boxes so that the food looks good, as well as tasting good.

One sandwich idea we came across was a polka dot sandwich made with cream cheese, bananas and raisins, things most kids will eat.
 Make any sandwich seem more fun just by using a large cookie cutter to give the sandwich

a fun shape like this elephant that could be filled with egg salad.
A trick for kids who will eat a sandwich but don’t like the crusts, is to make your own Uncrustables with a sandwich cutter/press from Wonder that you can buy at Walmart for under $2.

Photo from mommyskitchen.net

Another idea for making sandwiches is to make pinwheel sandwiches on lavash bread or flour tortillas.  Sometimes just making things look fun will entice your children to try them.

Most kids like smoothies.  Try making a fruit smoothie adding some protein powder and a bit of frozen spinach or kale.  Yes, you read that right – I said frozen spinach or kale.  A small amount of either of these doesn’t change the flavor of the smoothie at all, and it does increase the nutritional value immensely.  Make the smoothie the night before and freeze it, then put it in your child’s lunchbox right before you leave for school.  It will be good and slushy at lunchtime and will do double duty by acting as a cold pack, keeping the rest of the things you pack in the lunch cool.

Another fun idea is to add notes of encouragement or little bits of fun trivia or the odd joke.  The website How Does She that we have mentioned before has some printable ideas for these inserts that remind your children that even when you are apart you are thinking of them and that no matter where they are they are always in your heart.

Just one more way to teach your little ones about love, joy and abundant living 🙂