keiki’s lunch to remind him or her that “You’re the apple of my eye!” or “You’re one smart cookie!” THE IDEAL INGREDIENTS “Snap, crunch, squish.” A variety of healthy foods that your child likes are the best lunch foods. Before going on a shopping spree, know your school’s rules about lunch. Are certain foods, like nuts, prohibited? Also, avoid messy items or foods that spill easily. Most importantly, try to avoid embarrassing foods or foods keiki will not eat; including your child in the lunch-making process will help ensure a face lighting up with excitement at lunchtime. A balanced lunchbox should contain items from all the food groups. For grains, pack whole wheat if possible and add variety instead of the regular slices of bread, such as tortilla, crackers, pita, mini bagels, pretzels, or quinoa. Chicken, turkey, nuts, or hummus make great protein options, and low-fat yogurt (with sprinkles for fun) will be running around the room trying to open tricky containers or packages, which limits the already limited lunch time. In addition, bento boxes allow for various fun little foods for lunch. Also, a cool reusable water bottle keeps that working mind hydrated. Many adorable and reusable fork sets are on the market that add an ounce of excitement when stabbing that fruit slice. A plethora of fun, relatively inexpensive packing lunch accessories can be found online or in stores like Don Quijote. To spice up the bland peanut butter and jelly sandwich, use a crust cutter shaped like dolphins and a heart, for example. Use cookie cutters in the shape of letters, stars, or animals to slice up fruits or vegetables. Add stickers or candy eyes to create other creatures from ordinary foods. Creative lunch bags can be used to pack fruits or sandwiches. For free, print out sweet “lunch messages” online and add one to your Using dinner leftovers is also a great way to make lunch easy. “Fruits can be the natural sugar dessert.” 154 HAWAII PARENT July/August 2025
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