Teach Your Kids How To Help Pack Lunches

Candace Wagner
Aug 31, 2018 · 4 min read

There’s no denying it, school is almost upon us! Between homework, clubs and sports, the school year can get pretty crazy. Perhaps one of the most-time consuming tasks is packing school lunches for your children. Ask any parent and they will tell you packing lunches every morning for school is a huge time commitment.

We can help! Involve your children in the lunch packing process. This not only frees up more time for you but also helps to teach your children responsibility and time management skills. Plus, if kids know in advance what is going to be in their lunch, they are more likely to eat it.

Read on to check out our tips for teaching your kids how to help with school lunch prep.

Need ideas on where to find fun and sustainable lunch box accessories? Find our favourite items here.

Lunch Packing Zone

Choose one area of your kitchen to be designated the lunch packing zone. Don’t be afraid to have fun with it! Children can even make a small sign to mark out the packing zone. Kids drop off their lunch bags here after school too so all of the mess is consolidated. The lunch packing zone is a great place for children to clean out any used containers and pack room temperature snacks for the next day.

Snack Packs

Small snacks comprise a huge part of packed lunches. Every Sunday, have your children make snack packs for the week. You can even go a step further and make a rule that every lunch should contain a piece of fruit, a veggie snack and one crunchy item or treat. If your children are younger, pre-cut small pieces of fruit and vegetables in the fridge to make this job easier for them. Having the snack packs prepped ahead of time will make packing lunches in the morning much faster!

Build-Your-Lunch List

Have a Build-Your-Lunch list in the lunch packing zone. Include specific categories for each food group, and make it clear how many items from each group need to be included in a healthy lunch. You can even provide examples if needed. A Build-Your-Lunch list will do wonders to make sure that your child is including everything they need when they pack their own lunch. Email us at waterloo@supperworks.com for a downloadable copy!

Freezer List

A freezer list of available meals can also be added to the lunch packing zone. This kind of list can help kids choose what they want to reheat and include in their lunch the next day. Having meals already prepared in your freezer saves you time during the week, plus makes your weekday grocery shopping much easier. Having a list on display also makes decisions easier and allows you to keep certain frozen items saved specifically for dinner or dessert. Need to stock your freezer with delicious meals? Check out SupperWorks September menu items here and come to SupperWorks kitchen on Saturday mornings with your children to prep meals together for the week!

Packing lunches everyday can be a tedious task. But with a little bit of preparation and organization, you and your children can get your school days under control.

If you need help with those school night dinners, you can pick up your SupperWorks dishes or even have them delivered!

For more meal ideas and SupperWorks menu features, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

Candace Wagner

Quick, healthy meals for you and your family. Helping busy people take the work out of supper in Kitchener-Waterloo!

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