Packing a Healthy Lunch

Summer is a busy time at Orr’s Farm Market, but we know the busy season for most folks will come when the school year begins. Sending kids off to school with a healthy lunch can help to ensure that your young scholar will be nourished and alert throughout the school day.

If your home is like ours, mornings before school starts can be chaotic and challenging. By the time everyone is awake and dressed, it can feel like a daunting task to also pack a healthy lunch in time to catch the bus! Prepping lunch options in advance can make it easier to get the kids out the door and also helps you make sure their meal is well balanced.

We’ve developed a few tricks that help parents pack the best lunch, and hopefully also encourage your kids to eat it!

One tip we like to employ is to include your kids in the lunch packing process. This takes some pressure off of you and provides a good learning opportunity for them. We discovered that kids are more likely to eat a lunch they have played a role in designing. What are your child’s favorite fruits and veggies? What does your kid hate to eat? Let your child have a supervised say in what goes into their lunchbox.

Making food fun to eat is another great way to encourage healthy eating. Cookie cutters are a simple way to jazz up an average sandwich – and, as a bonus, it’s a built-in crust remover for kids that are strictly anti-crust. Letting your child pick out their own reusable lunch box can also make lunchtime more exciting.

It’s best to try to avoid too many processed foods. Prepackaged snack packs are not only less nutritious, but they are usually more expensive too. If you crave the ease of individual packaging, take one night a week and pre-portion crackers or carrots so they’re easy to grab when you’re rushed. This is another area where your kids can participate.

Try to incorporate a variety of food groups in each meal. Fresh and dried fruits, veggies with a little hummus or dressing to dip, low-fat yogurts and cheeses and lean proteins like hard-boiled eggs are all easy packable.

One of the most important things for a healthy body is to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water is important all the time, but it is especially critical in the warmer months or when your child is extra active. Let your kids pick out their own water bottle and encourage them to drink the whole thing at least twice before the school day is over. Kids (and parents!) are more likely to drink their water if they feel like it’s a competition, so join the hydration challenge! If you or your child find plain water to be boring, try adding a few pieces of frozen fruit for a mild flavor element.

At Orr’s Farm Market, we’re always trying to think of new ways to incorporate healthy options into each meal. Come in and pick up some of your favorites Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm and on Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm. We hope to see you soon!