These Lunch Ideas Are Simple Enough for Your Child To Make Themselves
Medically reviewed by Jill Castle, M.S., RDNMedically reviewed by Jill Castle, M.S., RDNLeading a healthy lifestyle as a family can often start with teaching kids how to prepare simple foods. This is an important skill for kids to learn when they are young, so they can continue making healthy meal choices in their lifetime.For younger kids under 10 years old, you can teach simple recipes that require little prep and for kids a bit older the recipes can include more advanced elements such as boiling water for pasta. Below you’ll find best practices for teaching kids how to create nutritious meals, a list of nutritional ingredients to keep stocked in your kitchen, and easy DIY recipes that kids of every age can make on their own.
Rachel Vanni for Parents
Teaching Kids How to Make Nutritious MealsWhen your kids get down and dirty in the kitchen, not only do they learn about food but they also have fun! It’s even more fun when they get to eat what they have prepared with their own two hands. Parents and caregivers can use this moment to show kids how to increase the nutritional value of their lunches. Here are several best practices when showing kids how to create well-rounded meals.Add calcium. Pediatric nutrition expert Malina Malkani, MS, RDN, CDN and author of Safe and Simple Food Allergy Prevention reminds parents to include a good source of calcium at lunch. “As kids exit the toddler years, calcium intake tends to decrease. According to data from NHANES, 49% of children between ages 4-18 are not meeting their daily needs for this essential, bone-building nutrient.” Yogurt, cheese, kefir, cottage cheese, edamame, fortified soy milk, and chia seeds all offer a good amount of calcium in lunch foods that are easy to pack.Include a combination of protein, fiber, and fat. These three nutrients—whether including all or some of them at a meal—"can help slow the rate of digestion and prevent the dips and spikes in blood sugar that lead to low energy, irritability, and lack of focus,” explains Malkani.Let the child choose between two options. Jill Castle, MS, RDN is the founder of The Nourished Child and author of Kids Thrive at Every Size: How to Nourish Your Big, Small, or In-Between Child for a Lifetime of Health and Happiness. Castle recommends providing your child with two options when negotiating foods to pack for lunch. For example, you can include both strawberries and a clementine that way they can select which one they prefer during their lunch.Choose at least four food groups to pack for lunch. Castle provides the example of turkey and cheese on whole grain bread paired with grapes and pretzels. There are endless possibilities, but teach your child to count the foods that come from each food group.Let your child do the work: Castle says letting your child do most of the work “will encourage their independence, [teach them to] engage with hands-on tasks, and [help them] learn while doing.”Use a school lunch planner: Another smart tip from Castle is to create a school lunch planner. “A planner can help you map out a week of lunch meals with input from your child, and make the process of lunch packing easier.”Use after-school snack time wisely: Castle says to take advantage of this time for discussing, planning, and preparing for the next day’s lunch ideas.Nutritious Ingredients to Stock Up OnStart with simple recipes that focus on nutritious ingredients when your kids are younger and build on their skills as they evolve in the kitchen. Consider stocking up on these ten nutritious ingredients that are simple for young kids to meal prep for lunch.Frozen, shelled edamame: Thaw and have your kids pack it as a side or snack, they can also use it as a base for “hummus” when they’re ready to use the blender. Chia seeds: Your child can mix chia seeds into yogurt parfaits, use it as a base for a nutrient-rich pudding, toss it into salads, or sprinkle it into nut butter sandwiches.Yogurt tubes or pouches: Include this grab-and-go food as a calcium-rich side or base for yogurt parfaits that kids can assemble during lunchtime if they prefer not to assemble in advance. You can also try freezing a yogurt pouch in advance as it helps to keep the rest of the packed foods cold and it will still be chilled by the time kids are ready to eat them.Peanut butter or nut-free butter (like sunflower, yellow split pea, soy): Use nut butter for sandwiches or as a topping for toast or bagel. You can also have your child melt nut butter in the microwave and drizzle it on plain yogurt, or they can mix it with soy sauce and toss with warm noodles.Eggs: Either purchase hard-cooked eggs for younger kids or older kids can learn to boil them stovetop. Use for an egg sandwich with cheese and ham.Pasta or noodles: Pasta is simple to make for older kids who know how to use the stove (or you can pre-cook them for younger kids). Kids can toss the pasta with chopped veggies to create a cold salad, or they can toss with a tomato, Alfredo, or vodka sauce for a hot lunch (and bring it to school in a thermos). You can also show them how to serve it plain or with butter for picky eaters.Cheese: Have your child add slices to sandwiches or pack some cheese as a side in their lunchbox. Shredded cheese can be sprinkled over veggies and cubes can be skewered with fruit.Carrots: Kids can choose from sliced canned carrots, baby carrots, or peeled and sliced carrots. It’s a simple side to add to lunches, and a veggie that kids love to dip.Mandarins or clementines: These easy-to-peel fruit are a simple snack even for the littlest hands and can help add fiber and vitamin C to their diet.Raisins: Dried fruit has a long shelf-life and is easy to grab and pack in any lunch box. It can be topped over yogurt or eaten right out of the mini box.Lunch Recipes 5- to 11-Year-Old Kids Can MakeFor elementary and younger middle-school aged kids, Castle says they are likely to “assemble” lunch items. As such, Castle recommends that “parents support them by having some of these things prepared and on hand, like yogurt sticks in the freezer, hard boiled eggs in the fridge.”A spin on PB&JMalkani recommends spreading seed butter and smashing raspberries or banana slices on whole grain bread as a spin on the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Have your child choose from baby carrots, a cheese stick, or roasted corn kernels on the side to balance out the lunch.Stepped up bagel and cream cheeseCastle’s ideal student lunch starts with a whole grain bagel with plain cream cheese, the lunchbox also includes a hard-cooked egg, a fruit “salad” made from berries and/or clementines, and a frozen vanilla yogurt stick (wrapped in tinfoil to prevent condensation).Creative avocado toastHave your child pack a whole grain slice of bread and a single-serve guacamole or mashed avocado that they can spread on the bread. Let them choose between fun toppings such as sliced strawberries or tomato slices and string cheese.Ham and cheese roll upsYour child can take a slice of ham or turkey and cheese and roll it up. They can add ketchup, hummus, or mustard on the side for dipping. Compliment the lunch bag with cherry tomatoes, baby cucumber (no cutting needed!), or raisins.Skewered chicken and cheeseShow your child how to thread grilled or shredded pieces of rotisserie chicken with cheese cubes. They can serve them with a side of carrots and grapes for an easy, protein-packed lunch.DIY Recipes 12- to 17-Year-Old Kids Can Make"Teens are busy, social, and often short on time,” explains Castle. Anything that is easy to assemble, such as wraps or salad kits, are perfect for this age group as these options are flexible, easy to make, and mobile.Yogurt parfaitMalkani recommends showing your tween how to create their own yogurt parfaits with plain yogurt, chopped fruit, granola, chia and pumpkin seeds, and a drizzle of honey. They can even add whole-grain crackers, celery, or bell pepper strips on the side, as well as a single-serve container of hummus for dipping.Bagged salad kitsBagged salad kits works well for tweens and teens. They can enhance the nutritional value of the salad by topping it with a hard-cooked egg or grilled or rotisserie chicken for protein. They can complete the lunchbox with a piece of fruit, popcorn or tortilla chips, and a cheese stick.High protein Mediterranean wrapCastle recommends a whole grain wrap (like Lavash or Flat Out), then your teen can add hummus, cucumber, feta cheese, Greek olives; and a crunchy side like Hippeas (made from chickpeas). This lunch pairs well with an apple on the side.Chicken, kale, and white bean saladThis recipe is from The Best Rotisserie Chicken [TA5] Cookbook and uses five ingredients—kale, chicken, white beans, roasted nuts/seeds, and a dressing. Parents can purchase a bottled dressing from the store or an older child can learn to make the dressing from scratch (it’s a good lesson on how oil and vinegar don’t mix until you whisk!).Your teen can start by mixing bagged baby or shredded kale with shredded rotisserie chicken and drained and rinsed canned cannellini (or other white) bean. They can add chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds, or roasted soy nuts for added crunch. And finish it off with a mandarin orange and cheese stick.Protein-packed pasta saladPre-cook the pasta to save both you and your teen some time and mix it with canned kidney beans, canned peas, and carrots. Then your teen can toss it with a spoonful each of shredded Parmesan cheese and extra-virgin olive and sprinkled with salt and pepper. This lunch is best completed with blueberries for extra fiber.
Key TakeawayTeaching your child how to make simple meals can not only save time and energy, but it also instills a healthier mindset. You can show your child how to create a nutritious meal by teaching them the components that are necessary to do so. For a child under 11 years old, you can show them how to make simple lunch meals themselves like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For kids older than 12, you can teach them to make easy, on-the-go options such as bagged salad kits.
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