he or she will enjoy eating. Uneaten or eaten foods can start conversations about how much to pack or if something took too much time to eat. TIME-SAVING TIPS To make packing lunches easier, set up a drawer in the kitchen with all the necessities: containers, stickers, baggies, plastic wrap, and utensils. Using dinner leftovers is also a great way to make lunch easy, and add a fun element to the repetitive entree, such as alphabetshaped melon. Packing the night before can alleviate the morning rush, and even better – teach your child to pack his or her own lunch, from washing the containers to packing a balanced lunch with the ingredients you already bought. With a little thought and the right simple ingredients, the everyday lunch challenge can turn into a fun family activity that fills bellies and provides the necessary nutrition and extra excitement to excel through the rest of the day. or cheese from the dairy group adds additional protein. Pack as many vegetables as possible to your child’s lunch. Find what he or she likes. Some easy veggie options are cucumbers, carrots, snap peas, broccoli, or mini peppers. Try serving raw veggies, or steaming veggies and making them into shapes with cookie cutters, enhancing their appeal. Fruits can be the natural sugar dessert and some options include small bananas, grapes, berries, apples, peeled clementine, or even dried fruits; again, discover your child’s favorite and let them enjoy. For a drink, water is always best, but if your child likes milk, feel free to serve it to them at lunch. If juice is desired, select reduced sugar and real fruit juice. You can also consider watering it down. Figuring out how much to pack each day can take some trial and error, especially if extra snacks are needed. Encourage your child to be honest about what he or she did not eat, so you can pack something The everyday lunch challenge can add extra excitement to excel through the rest of the day. “Packing the night before can alleviate the morning rush.” 156 HAWAII PARENT July/August 2025
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==