Back to School - Lunch Edition

I’m sitting here enjoying the quiet as the kids are off to school after an amazing summer that felt way too short.

And I miss them being here.

When they were little, I couldn’t WAIT for school to start. Back to routine, back to actually getting things done during the day.

But as they’ve gotten older, each year signals one more year closer to when they will grow up and leave home for bigger and greater things. I can’t help but feel sadness at each passing year.

I will be the proudest mama when the day comes when they don’t need me anymore, but until then I just want to soak up every moment with them.

As I was reflecting this morning, I was thinking about what would have been most helpful to me as a parent of young kids. The answer was a resounding LUNCH HELP.

Packing the dreaded lunch box. I would be lying if I told you I enjoyed this process. I don’t. Does any parent? I’d like to meet that one person.

When I think about packing a good lunch, the focus is more on quality portions of protein, fat, and fiber and ensuring that there are plenty of Love It foods. I’m going to share some tips I wish I’d had as a mom of young kids. Let’s dive in!

Protein.

I am a huge fan of animal-based protein for children. There is no other food where you have the perfect balance of protein and fat, as well as vitamins and minerals that you just can’t find in vegan protein sources. Because of the nutrient density of meat (and somewhat dairy too), you get the biggest nutritional bang for your buck, especially for small tummies. That said, nut butters and beans can also be a great source of protein as well as fiber (beans).

Here are my favorites:

• Hard Boiled Eggs: Costco has these ready to go for you and they are organic (double win). I would unwrap them before putting them into your child’s lunch to make access easy. ~6g protein/egg

• Paleovalley Beef Sticks: These are AWESOME. The flavor is super good and they also ferment them, so there is a small amount of beneficial probiotics in them as well. 6g protein/stick

• Ham or turkey: If sliced, you can add it to a sandwich; if cubed you can put on a toothpick layered with cheese.

• Bean dip with crackers or chips

• Apples and nut butter

• Banana and nut butter sandwich

• Good old peanut butter and jelly is an awesome source of protein and fat, but make sure you are using good quality bread. I personally love the whole wheat white organic bread from Dave’s Killer Bread (it’s at Costco).

• Greek yogurt is a great source of protein

• Layer hummus on a tortilla with sandwich meat or use as a veggie dip

• Chocolate hummus is awesome for dipping fruit or graham crackers

• Tuna sandwich or chicken salad either as a sandwich or for eating with chips

• Deconstructed pizzas are fun too: pepperoni and cheese layered together with crackers or tortilla pieces

• Protein waffles or pancakes (you can buy these pre-made or DIY and add collage powder)

• Protein balls: there are literally zillions of recipes, but look for one that contains nut butter, oatmeal, and a natural sweetener like honey.

• When all else fails, a good old kids’ protein bar can be a great option!

Fiber

Fiber is good for so many things-frequent and consistent bowel movements, supporting healthy blood sugar, and keeping you feeling full. It’s also awesome for your gut health. That said, I find the easiest way to get fiber into kids is fruit. Berries have the highest amount of fiber, so those tend to be my go-to. Dried berries count, but just be on the look for the sugar content. Thrive Market has no-sugar-added organic dried blueberries and cranberries which are great to snack on solo or alongside some nuts (another great fiber source). You can also add ground flax seeds into nut butters or baked goods to add more fiber.

Fat

Fat is absolutely essential for all us-it’s the foundation of the membranes in our cells allowing them to communicate, helps hydrate our skin, is essential for hormone production, and makes food taste soooo good. Fat helps us feel satiated when we eat.

Fat is naturally present in dairy and nut products (stay away from “low-fat” versions—they usually just replace fat with sugar). There’s a lot of overlap between protein and fat, but in case you have a kiddo who doesn’t love animal-based protein, nuts or trail mix can be a great option. Late July also has mini peanut butter cracker sandwiches that are a great lunch addition.

Avocado/guacamole, hummus, bean dip (made with coconut or olive oil), olives, or homemade muffins/banana bread made with avocado oil can also be great options if you are stuck on how to get fat in. Slather it in some butter before you throw it into the lunch box for a bonus fat serving.

If a child I’m working with doesn’t eat animal products and/or has a dairy allergy, I focus on adding fat at breakfast, such as butter or peanut butter on toast, or MCT oil in oatmeal, dairy-free yogurt, or a smoothie. In this case, I’m also likely adding collagen powder (based on the age of the child) to these same items to help boost protein intake.

Additional Resources

Sometimes you just need more help! I get it! I love Feeding Littles as well as Raising Generation Nourished. They have great lunch plans/cookbooks you can purchase to keep things easy! Both have specific ideas for lunches.

I hope this helps! Remember: protein, fat, fiber. This is my mantra to keep the “hangry” at bay and keeping kids flourishing at school.

I hope you and your family have the best and healthiest year ever!