Kids love the chance to assemble their own lunches.
Not the night before, mind you. They’re quite happy to leave the packing of lunch to you. We’re talking about when they eat it. Present them with a variety of agreeable ingredients, and the little ones have a blast assembling their own sandwiches, pizzas, fajitas and other kid-friendly creations.
It’s part of the reason those boxed lunches available at the grocer are so popular. But there’s no reason you need to pay a premium for those, or be a slave to their questionable quality.
When you assemble your own, you can use healthier ingredients you and your kids love. You also can include a wider variety of ingredients than the typical box includes, and have it assembled in little time.
The first step is to get a lunch box with multiple small compartments. Bento-style lunch boxes are popular and widely available online. But a collection of small plastic containers works just as well.
Then have your kids help choose what goes together and what goes in their boxes.
And take the whole thing a little less seriously. Be creative with the combinations; it’s supposed to be fun.
We’ve started you off with some ideas for combinations, but let your imaginations go.
MORE DIY LUNCH BOXES
Fajitas
Small corn or flour tortillas
Colorful bell pepper slices
Shredded cheese
Sliced chicken breast
Guacamole
Salsa
Parfaits
Yogurt or cottage cheese
Toasted walnuts or sliced almonds
Sunflower or pumpkin seeds
Granola or dry cereal
Sliced peaches or nectarines
Sliced fresh berries
Dunkers
Pretzels
Crunchy breadsticks or cracker sticks
Hummus
Veggies cut into sticks
Tzatziki (cucumber yogurt dip)
Salad dressing
Jam
Cracker sandwiches
Graham crackers
Whole-wheat saltines
Peanut butter and jelly
Ham, cheddar and apple slices
Cream cheese, cucumber and deli turkey
Pizza
Crackers
Small pitas or flatbread (such as lavash or naan)
Pizza sauce or salsa
Shredded mozzarella
Sliced pepperoni
Cherry tomatoes, olives or chopped peppers
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