I've decided to bite the bullet and fix my kids' lunches this year. It wasn't a tough decision, honestly, as my oldest son made it clear to me that he no longer wished to eat what his school had to offer ever again—and he was only halfway through kindergarten at the time!
Keeping that in mind, it wasn't so much an issue of whether or not to make his lunch—or that of my daughter who will join him at the primary school this year—but how to do so successfully for 180 days. It's not that I'm unfamiliar with creating lunches. I've prepared lunches for the husband for years as a cost-saving measure. However, his access to a microwave made leftovers a more viable option for packing lunches. My kids won't have that option, thereby placing a greater emphasis on my own personal creativity.
So, last week I started researching different food storage containers and soliciting opinions of both mommy bloggers I know as well as personal friends on Facebook who have been doing so for a while now. And, with their knowledge firmly in hand, I started purchasing a few items to start the year.
Back when I was in school, there were sandwich bags and thermos containers—no Foogo jars, no stay cool sacks, no BPA approved sandwich/snack containers—so the plethora of choices was both exciting and intimidating. However, I knew I managed to get what I needed without breaking the bank.
I have tried to be fair to my kids where food is concerned so while I personally am incorporating a more vegetarian diet, I focus on giving them healthy options that are both meat and non-meat based. Some parents may not agree with that approach, but I feel it works for my family as I can tell you my husband is nowhere near ready nor willing to forsake meat in his weekly diet.
That said, this year of preparing lunches for my kids offers a great opportunity for me to introduce them to some new foods and, hopefully, this will grant them a better knowledge of what different flavors, textures, and types of foods exist in this world. They get a sense of that at home, but researching lunch menus has made it clear to me that I may need to expand my knowledge base a bit more as well.
This should be fun.
2 comments:
Hi. I was just cruising by. The good news is that by the time your kids hit middle school, they will probably have microwaves available. Mine did. My youngest DD will be in first grade this year and we have purchased the lunch box and accessories in anticipation. Be sure to post any great ideas you come up with.
Will do, Ruby, and thanks so much for leaving your comments!
A microwave is definitely an added convenience when considering what to pack in the lunch bag, but I have no doubt my creativity will be tested in a good way this year as I look for healthful meals to fill out a 180-day calendar!
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