6 Ways to Make Simple, Healthy Kids Lunches in an Unusual School Year

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For younger children, Mr. Egg-faced is sure to please them.

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A bagel snake makes tuna salad so much more fun to eat.

Blueberries and yogurt round out this meal for the little ones.

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A great way to enjoy the rotisserie chicken from last night's dinner, make it like this butterfly sandwich.

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The turkey rolls with spinach and Swiss cheese are very easy to prepare with your children.

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Your kids will also like to make these kabobs for lunch.

Top, the hummus rolls;

in the middle, fruit mixture, and cheese and tomato skewers.

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Let them continue to enjoy these Leftover Pasta Rolls and Cannellini Beans.

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These Strawberry Banana Tortillas add sweetness to this tasty sunflower butter quesadilla.

This food works well for children with a peanut allergy.

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For older kids, this colorful and easy Edamame Tuna Salad is ready in 10 minutes.

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This Veggie-Filled Chickpea Salad Sandwich will feed your older kids and keep them full during an afternoon of online classes.

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Add diced chicken or a handful of chickpeas to personal vegetable pizza with lemon hummus topping.

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For a healthy and powerful lunch, try this Beet Quinoa Salad with Goat Cheese.

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And if you have a midday treat, this Pecan Taco Salad with Cashew Lime Cream is a feast of textures and flavors.

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This chickpea lentil salad gets a twist with spicy feta cheese and a lemon vinaigrette

(CNN) -

If your kids go to school - either full-time or distance, or hybrid schedule - chances are you'll spend time making lunches at home.

I am a mother of two girls whose schools are getting completely remote this school year, so lunches are on my mind.

So what are some strategies for making lunches easy, fun, and nutritious?

And are there ways kids can help too?

Yes, in both aspects.

I love making lunches with my daughters because they not only learn how different foods nourish their minds and bodies;

it also offers them a sense of accomplishment.

Measuring ingredients when following new recipes or dividing a family pizza also reinforces your math skills, which is an added bonus.

Here are some of my tips and recipes, along with tips from other nutrition and food experts on how to make healthy, simple, and tasty lunches for this offbeat school year.

Whether you have a toddler, a teenager, or a teenager, you and your child can pack school lunches that will keep your family nurtured and organized as the school year progresses.

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1. Plan your lunches in advance

"Even if you're not going anywhere except to the dining room table for school, planning is important," says Kristi King, senior pediatric dietitian at Texas Children's Hospital and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

"This is a time of uncertainty and planning can help establish a sense of normalcy in children," King said.

"Not to mention, packing lunch like you're packing it for school will help prevent your kids from eating anything and going to the kitchen at any time."

If the study is remote, preparing lunch ahead of time can also prevent working parents from having to interrupt their workday to prepare a midday meal, explained Victoria Stein Feltman, registered dietitian and co-founder of Apple to Zucchini, a food resource. healthy for parents and families.

To make next week less stressful, designate a time during the weekend when you can plan ahead for lunches for the week.

This will let you know what foods you will need to have on hand.

You can also design a weekly lunch menu and put the list on the fridge.

Like any other new school year, build some excitement by buying a new lunch box or suitcase, even if your child will be studying from home.

Nutrition experts recommend bento box-style containers, which offer easy portion control and separation of various foods and are great for introducing new foods or offering small amounts of candy.

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2. Don't complicate yourself

Lunches don't have to be complicated.

You can simply select four items at lunch: a protein food such as meat, eggs, nut butter, or beans;

a fruit or vegetable;

whole grains, such as whole wheat bread, whole grain crackers, pasta, or a bagel;

and a dairy food, such as cheese, yogurt or milk, that could also serve as a protein source, says Jill Castle, a pediatric dietitian and creator of The Nourished Child, a nutrition education website for parents.

Selecting foods from these groups also helps ensure nutritional needs are met, as children need protein to grow and focus during school, healthy carbohydrates to maintain energy, healthy fats for brain development, and dairy or other foods. rich in calcium for strong bones and teeth.

3. Involve your children in preparing lunch

"Since homeschooling doesn't take as long as going in person, you can use the extra time to add an important life skill to your child's curriculum: cooking!" Says Lisa Leake, author of "100 Days of Real Food «.

"This is not only a wonderful learning experience, but also a great confidence booster!"

“It can be enriching for kids to 'make' lunch without a lot of support from mom and dad,” Feltman adds.

And here's a bonus: Kids are more likely to eat nutritious meals if they play a role in creating them.

When planning lunches, allow your kids to suggest ideas and shop for food, even if you buy food online.

Ask them to select breads and rolls, vegetables, fruits, and spreads.

If that's an option, take your kids to the market place "and let them choose fruits and vegetables," Feltman adds.

Then you can serve vegetables with their favorite sauce, like apples with sunflower seed butter, carrots with hummus, or bell peppers with guacamole.

When it comes to making lunches, kids as young as 4 can spread cream cheese, nuts or butter on bread and puree tuna or hard-boiled eggs for an egg salad, explains Jessica Levinson, registered dietitian nutritionist and culinary nutrition expert in Westchester, New York.

Children can also mix salad ingredients, cut lettuce leaves for sandwiches, and wash fruits and vegetables.

Older children can help cut vegetables, make a large pot of grains, or bake breads and muffins, Feltman said.

Make assembly easy: If you are planning a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but your child is past the lunchbox stage and prefers to prepare lunches in real time, put all the ingredients: jars, bread and a plastic knife (if necessary ) on the counter so you can quickly put it together if you're busy working.

Similarly, if there's a salad on the lunch menu, place ingredients like diced tomatoes, broccoli, chickpeas, grated cheese, and pasta in prep bowls and leave the dressing within reach in the refrigerator.

If you're around to help, this can be a wonderful time to start a conversation about the nutrients that lunch provides.

"There's nothing like a hands-on food montage to engage kids and bring teaching moments about food and nutrition to life," said Castle, who likes to serve up homemade pizzas, tacos or sandwiches for a change of pace. .

4. Consider freezing lunches.

The key to making school lunches easier, according to Leake, is to prepare the lunches ahead of time and freeze them.

Some ideas include homemade whole wheat muffins, burritos, chicken nuggets, smoothies, grilled sandwiches, soups or stews (which you can freeze in individual servings), pancakes, waffles, quick breads, and more.

For specific ideas / instructions, click here.

“Just make a recipe every weekend, consider doubling down on the things you know they'll love, and keep them on hand in the freezer for when it's time to pack lunch.

Then the night before, just take out a pre-made item to thaw and pack in the fridge along with some fresh produce and other simple additions.

5. Make it fun

Lunchtime is a great opportunity to get creative with your food!

Try to make faces in food and use cookie or sandwich cutters in the shape of animals, ballerinas, sporting goods, butterflies, hearts, and stars.

Skewers, such as colorful fruit or tomato and cheese skewers, can reinforce the creation of shapes.

Leake suggested adding fun toothpicks and cute notes, which can be pre-made or handwritten.

"When lunch is fun, kids look forward to it," Castle said.

Castle recommended using themed lunches for different days of the week, such as a "Monday Lunch," with cheese or peanut butter and crackers, baby carrots and gravy, nuts, and dried or fresh fruit, all served in a large platter, or "Your favorite Friday lunch" where the children decide the menu, or a dessert is included.

Feltman liked school favorites like "Breakfast for Lunch," "Make Your Own Tacos," and "Pizza Day."

6. Consider using what's left from the night before

"Lunch is a great opportunity to reuse the food left over from last night's dinner, both at home and at school," Feltman said.

Eating leftovers for lunch also results in less food waste.

Just roll the ingredients for last night's protein with veggies in a wrap, tortilla or taco.

You can also use the rest of the roasted chicken, turkey, or fish for sandwiches or salads.

Lunch ideas

For a list of various lunch items, you can check out Leake's school lunch chart.

"Ask (the children) to mark what looks good to them and what they will actually eat," she said.

Remember to use the weekends to prepare lunches.

Levinson often makes a batch of his egg muffins and quinoa-veggie bites for his daughters' lunches.

Other quick and easy healthy lunch options, courtesy of Feltman, include:

Smoked salmon on a small whole wheat bun with cream cheese and sliced ​​tomato

Lentil soup with chicken sausage

Vegetables or turkey chili with cornbread

To accompany

Vegetables cut into pieces: carrots, red bell peppers, cucumbers, jicama with your favorite toppings

Apple or pear slices and nut or seed butter or yogurt

Fresh fruit (berries, bananas, oranges, clementines, sliced ​​mango, watermelon, cantaloupe)

Fruits dried or baked (mango, apples, papaya, prunes, figs, apricots)

Nonfat plain yogurt parfaits (made with granola, chopped nuts, and frozen fruit)

For more ideas from Jessica Levinson's kitchen and mine as well, check out the photo gallery at the top.

- Lisa Drayer is a nutritionist, author, and CNN health and nutrition contributor.

School feeding