Lunchables You Can Feel Good About



Lunch shopping. Photo by Ben+Sam, Flickr.com



Admittedly, most of us know that Lunchables (or their generic counterparts) do not give our children a healthy lunch, but the truth is, they’re cheap, they’re convenient, and our kids will actually eat them.

The problem is that they’re overflowing with sodium, sugar, preservatives, and refined flour.

So, what else can you send with your kids for their lunch?

Nearly any kind of lunchable that you can buy, you can make yourself. You’ll still be giving them the fun of lunchables, it will still be semi-convenient for you, and you’ll feel better knowing your kids are actually getting a nutritious lunch.

Check out these homemade options for some of the most popular Lunchables:

Meat, Cheese and Crackers

Slice up a chicken or turkey breast instead of using deli meat, which is filled with nitrites, nitrates, and sugars. If you really prefer deli meat, check out Applegate—no added sugars, nitrites, or nitrates. It also costs a lot more. If you live in the Nashville area, Publix, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's carry it.
Cut up some cheese into squares, or for added fun, get some mini cookie cutters and cut it into fun shapes.
Add some 100% whole grain crackers, such as Ak Mak or Mary's Gone Crackers.
Pair this with canned mandarin oranges (in their own juice, not light syrup) or unsweetened applesauce.

Pizza

Cut slices of pizza crust, place some sauce in a sealable cup, and shred some cheese to place in a baggie. For lunch, your child can assemble the pizzas. (Make sure to include a plastic spoon for spreading the sauce.) 

Hint: If you don’t have time to make pizza crust, consider toasting slices of Ezekiel 4:9 bread (found in the refrigerated or frozen section of your favorite store, possibly in the health food section), cutting off the crusts, and cutting in half diagonally to make a crust.

Tacos

Make your own taco meat and/or refried beans. Add salsa (no sugar added) and corn chips. (Target has some organic blue corn chips with whole flax seeds made with sunflower oil that run about $3.00 per bag.) Shred some cheese, place in a baggie, and let your child put together his or her own taco lunch.

Wraps

Food for Life has both corn and wheat tortillas made from sprouted grains. You can usually find these frozen or refrigerated in your grocery store's health food section. They're actually pretty good, and pack a surprising protein punch. Use these tortillas or make your own, then wrap chicken strips, sliced turkey, or your child’s favorite ingredients inside.

A few tips for busy families:

Make several lunches in advance over the weekend. Package them up, set them in your fridge, then grab them throughout the week for weekday ease.

Prepare one type of lunch in bulk. Make an entire pound of taco meat, separate it into single servings in snack size baggies, and freeze them. Pull out as needed for lunches. Do the same for pizza sauce, shredded cheeses, or even wraps.

Enlist your child’s help. Even if he or she isn’t old enough to stir the pizza sauce, your child can probably use child safe cookie cutters to shape the cheese, or drop 5 crackers into each baggie. Your child will also be more likely to eat a lunch he or she helped prepare.

To save money: Purchase items like unsweetened applesauce, yogurt, or mandarin oranges in bulk, then divide up into small reusable containers. Also, utilize the make-it-yourself options above for big savings. Most of them are very simple, like throwing a bag of pinto beans in a crock pot with some water and letting them cook overnight.

For some additional lunch ideas, check out 21 Ways to Plan Ahead for School Lunches, Real Food School Lunches II, and Real Food School Lunches III.