Choose Your Own Adventure - An Attempt to Customize Lunches
Well, it's here. It's bittersweet as always; another Summer gone, Back to School, a grade older. I'm ready and then then not ready at all. No matter what you do, they are going to get some crap, community snack at school, treats for good behavior, birthdays and pretty much every other excuse to feed kids things that aren't healthy. My kids definitely get plenty of "non-preferred" food ;) ; however, I work really hard to get as much of the good stuff into them too! When they are fueled and filled with the good stuff, especially the good stuff they like, they are less likely to overindulge in the other stuff!
I have found that when you give them the ability to choose and exercise their own preferences, they do much better, so I am trying something a little different for now...we will see how long it lasts, but so far a success!
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For their lunches I had each one of my kiddos write down 3 things they wanted in their lunches this year, thankfully I didn't get anything too crazy. So, I included all their requests and added a few things, then let each of them come in and build their own lunchbox. They each had to pick 2 proteins (including cheese), a veggie and a fruit, then got to pick 1 extra! Honestly, it worked pretty well, they used up everything that I had already prepped and I only had to cut up more cucumbers and tomatoes! Win! I was happy to do that!
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I always 2 fix days worth at a time since I already have everything out. I choose items that will keep fine, save the apples browning a tad, which they don't really mind as long as they aren't super brown. I feel like this saves time and honestly it gives me 2 days off from fixing lunch! ;)
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Much more to come on how we do lunch boxes and ideas for the kiddos! #staytuned
