Hey there, Mamas! If your child’s school is anything like mine, they are starting back up this week. We packed our first lunch of the school year last night and it went pretty well.
My daughter is four years old and will be starting up a five day/week program this year. I want to send her plenty of food so she gets her fill, but I also need to remember that she may or may not care to eat very much at lunch time.
My plan was to send a mini sandwich (on a whole wheat slider bun), fruit, a yogurt, and one snacky type item. We got a variety pack of Annie’s snacks, so she was allowed to pick one.
When I had all that packed, she said,”Now we just need a vegetable.”
Mind.blown. (I was NOT about to push the veggie card on the first day of school.)
My first thought was, “Whose kid is this?” But, let’s be honest. I was quite pleased.
We have been working a lot with building balanced meals. Not favoring one food group all of the time (which is hard to do, in my experience, with young kiddos and starches).
An example of how this looks is: she wants yogurt with granola and pretzels for a snack. We talk about how granola and pretzels are both starches, so she can pick one. But if she is still hungry, we need to choose another food group. It could be protein via a cheese stick, some fruit, or some veggies. (Ranch, hummus, or other dip is always encouraged! We need the fat to soak up those fat soluble vitamins.)
She’s been thinking through it pretty well most of the time. To say I was excited for her to think through it on her own with no outside help would be an understatement.
My baby is growing up..
The Lunch Trap
A problem I found myself getting into with my own lunches time and time again was buying baby carrots. Of course, baby carrots are just fine! Nutritionally, there is nothing wrong with them. Plus they’re super convenient and can even be purchased in single serving pouches. (Great for that end of the year fatigue when you can’t imagine portioning out ANOTHER food item.)
I would buy huge bags of baby carrots, pack a big container for lunch, and bring them home everyday uneaten.
I’d carry around the same container day in and day out until they would get slimy and just plain yuck.
Quite honestly, I started to question my commitment to nutrition. “You are a dietitian and you can’t even eat vegetables with your lunch?”
It wasn’t until I bought some tri-colored tomatoes that I recognized the problem. It wasn’t that I didn’t like vegetables, it was that I was SO SICK of baby carrots.
Eating the Rainbow
Now, instead of just orange, my lunch box pops with yellow, red, (and orange) tomatoes, green cucumbers, and bell peppers of all colors.
It’s so much more enjoyable to eat foods that taste good to you.
Just like I discuss with my patients, you have to make changes that will fit with your life. Don’t rearrange your life to make changes you hate.