(BPT) - Creating lunches for your kids every day can be challenging, but as the holiday season approaches, life can get even more hectic, making this daily task seem daunting. While the holiday season is a stressful and busy time of year, it's still possible to assemble balanced, nutritious lunches your kids will eat - and actually enjoy.
What's the key? Thinking of lunches as a group of easy-to-fix, easy-to-eat snack foods. The popularity of snack foods for kids' lunches is growing because they are often completely eaten, and they can be a huge time saver during a busy season when parents need easy solutions.
Why snack lunches work
The appeal of snacks to fill your kids' lunchboxes is understandable - you can quickly reach for an assortment of packable items, and easily arrange them in bento box-style reusable containers. Kids love them because they're fun to eat, it's easy for them to see what their options are, and those snack-type items are often the first things in the lunchbox they reach for.
How to turn snacks into a full, balanced meal
The key to making snacks into lunch is thinking outside your typical idea of "snacks," which may conjure images of items with zero nutritional value and perhaps too much sugar, salt and preservatives. Instead, think of snacks simply as finger foods that can contain the right mix of nutrients and energy your kids need to fuel their busy days.
Here's a quick guide of the food groups to include in your children's snack lunches:
Whole grains/starches: Think beyond bread to include pita, flatbread, crackers, naan and bagels.
Protein-rich foods: Choose from meat sticks, string cheese, hard-boiled eggs and more.
Fruits: Consider fruits like berries that are easy to pack and eat, mandarin oranges/small tangerines or dried fruits.
Vegetables: Opt for options like baby carrots, broccoli florets and colorful bell pepper slices.
You can also find tasty and wholesome snack options that straddle more than one food group, like Nature's Bakery bars, which combine whole grains and real fruit in their plant-based, nut-free, dairy-free, and Non-GMO certified snack bars. Kids - and parents - will love these soft-baked, tasty bars that are easy to pack in a lunch or to stow in your purse, briefcase, gym bag or glove compartment for a delicious snack option, any time. Their family-favorite Fig Bars are available in Original Fig, Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Apple Cinnamon and more - including gluten-free varieties.
"Nature's Bakery bars are ideal for kids' lunchboxes and your snack pantry," said Registered Dietitian Sarah Remmer. "And you can rest assured knowing that their ingredients are plant-based, dairy-free and nut-free, making them wholesome and school-friendly for any child's lunch kit."
Snack lunch creation inspiration
Keep lunches interesting and varied by organizing your ingredients around a theme, and your kids will soon be eager to check out their lunchboxes each day just to see what tasty options await them. Here are three ideas to get you started:
1. Charcuterie boards aren't just for grownups anymore
Create a kid-friendly charcuterie experience by compiling choices like tasty crackers, meats, cheeses, cucumber rounds, nut-free trail mix, Nature's Bakery bars, chia pudding and berries.
Want to make a fully plant-based board? Opt for smoked tofu, tempeh strips, plant-based cheese, hummus, a variety of Nature's Bakery snack bars, roasted chickpeas or edamame.
2. Travel to the Mediterranean
Invite conversations about global travel and cultures with a trip to the Mediterranean. You can combine options like mini naan bread, hummus, mini caprese salad skewers, a Nature's Bakery Blueberry Fig Bar, fruit and dried chickpeas.
3. Fun finger food favorites
Choose easy-to-eat selections that you know your kids love, including things like edamame beans, seed butter and banana roll-ups, string cheese, a Nature's Bakery bar plus mini carrots.
Balanced, snack-based lunches are a great way to navigate the holiday season's busy schedule while keeping your kids nourished and satisfied. With a little creativity and the right ingredients, snack lunches can become your go-to lunchtime and snack time solution your kids (and you) will love.
