Skip the PBJ and Send a Better Lunch

Getting Real With +Shadra Bruce

Every single day from kindergarten through sixth grade, Kira wanted a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich for lunch. She loved her PBJ.  The PBJ is standard kid fare, but if  your children’s lunch boxes are starting to come home from school looking relatively untouched, it might be time to stir things up a bit – and in the process, help them have a healthier lunch.

In fact, you can send a lunch that doesn’t have a sandwich at all. From fruits, cheeses, and whole wheat crackers to hummus, pita strips and red peppers, lunch can be a much more exciting prospect for your child than just simply sending a PBJ and chips. Given the cost of peanut butter, you can actually send a healthier lunch without breaking the bank.

Invest in a Bento box or other modern storage container that will allow you to send everything from yogurt and berries to celery and peanut butter. From hot cold lunches to homemade lunchables, lunch for kids no longer needs to center on sandwiches and potato chips.

Great lunch ideas (for you and the kids):

• Fruit, yogurt, and granola – let the kids make their own parfait.
• Fruit, cheese, and crackers for a European flair.
• Veggies, hummus, and pita strips.
• Apples, peanut butter, and snap peas.
• Tuna, whole grain crackers, cucumber slices.

Add a small morsel of dark chocolate to complete any meal and your kids will be delighted with lunch.

What are some of your favorite lunch ideas?

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