Let's Celebrate - Creative Lunching

It can happen to anyone.  You find yourself procrastinating and looking nervously over at the kitchen. You ask yourself, “How many times do I have to do this?” If you’re tired of making the same old thing for your child’s lunch, you can be certain that your kids are tired of eating it. And when more food is returning home in your child’s lunchbox than is being consumed, you know you’ve hit the “Lunchbox Blues.” Here are a few tips from “That Creative Mom” to put a little fun into both you and your child’s lunchtime routine.

Presentation – It isn’t just about the food, it’s about how it looks too. Kids love food in different shapes. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the shape of a star is much more likely to get eaten that a regular one with the crusts still on. The same goes for your standard turkey and cheese sandwich - it doesn’t have a fighting chance against a fun-shaped turkey roll-up. TIP: Use your cookie cutters to create different shapes – stars, moon, hearts etc. For bite-sized portions, a child’s medicine cup doubles as a circle punch.

Make an Event – For smaller kids, make your menu sound fun with names like “Turkey-Time Tuesday” or “Tuna Fish Friday.” They’ll love saying it and repeating it to their friends. If it goes over great, why not make it a recurring menu event?

Find a Reason to Celebrate – Look up holidays for the month on the internet and you are sure to find something to work into your lunch menu. For example, did you know that October is National Pizza Month? It is the perfect reason to pack a slice of your child’s favorite pizza for lunch and talk to them about Italy! This is great way to get them interested in their food and its origins.

Don’t Forget the Dessert – Fruit is a great dessert and a healthy alternative to cookies and other snacks, but a whole apple or banana may find its way back home. Cut them up and mix them in with other fruit like grapes and strawberries for a fresh homemade fruit cocktail.

Storage - If you’re going with the brown-bag option, why not dress it up? Write your child’s name on the bag with a broad-tipped marker and decorate the bag. They’ll love your original works of art. For those with a traditional lunchbox, you can easily decorate your sandwich bags the same way – just make sure you are using a permanent marker.