When it comes to making your kids lunch, you want to accomplish a couple of things. The first thing – you want whatever you cook or make for your young ones to be something they will actually eat at lunch time.

The second thing is to give them the proper nutritional value throughout a well balanced lunch time meal. Lunch is one of the most important meals for a kid in preschool – it’s right in the middle of their busy day, which they’ve spent using their brains and playing with their friends.

For more information on our Redbank preschool and how we can help your kids achieve their top health through nutritional and educational values, contact us.

One of the problems with making preschool lunches is that you often end up sending your kids to lunch with the same things so that you ensure they eat their lunches and they are receiving the right nutritional value.

We’re going to share some great ideas for you to prepare for your preschooler’s lunch meal, giving them the perfect balance of delicious taste and healthy living.

Pack Some Leftover Pasta

One healthy food never fails to be loved by the preschoolers – it’s pasta. Stick to types of pasts that are easy to eat (think elbow or bowtie possibly, not angel hair) and nutritious (choose whole-grain or vegetable options); keep them warm in a thermos (a little butter or olive oil will keep them from sticking together).

Put in a variety of potential pasta toppings that your child can add him or herself, like strips of grilled chicken or small meatballs, sauces, and a shaker of the favorite type of cheese. Toss in a salad on the side, and you’ve got the balanced meal he or she needs — and might actually eat.

Kebabs – Fast, Easy and Fun to Eat

Sandwiches can get boring when they’re eaten every day. When you turn it into a sandwich skewer, things get a little more exciting. Kebabs are the easiest thing to prepare since the traditional sandwich, maybe even a little bit easier. Just take the components of your child’s favorite sandwich, cut them up into bite-sized pieces and thread them on in no particular order — little squares of bread; chicken or turkey; cheese; pickle slices;  and cherry tomatoes halves.

For extra fun, include a dip (like honey  mustard). This method works just as well with fruit –  create a fruit kebab he or she can enjoy with yogurt or cream. Use a skewer with blunt ends for safety, snip off the sharp end, or use a plastic straw instead.

Spice up Traditional Sandwiches with Cookie Cutters

Now that your child is in preschool, he or she is probably starting to learn the letters of the alphabet. Extend this learning to lunch time. Use an alphabet cookie cutter (or a knife if you’re good with shapes) to slice a sandwich into the shape of, say, the letter G.

Then add other foods that start with A, like a container of ricotta cheese, some broccoli and carrots, a cheese stick, dried fruit… you get the picture.

The Home Away From Home Academy (HAFHA) is owned by Carmine and Phyllis Visone, and aims to provide the right kind of play and guidance to educate children as a whole, giving them a more individualistic education experience. To find out more about how you can enroll your kids, contact us.