What’s
in Your
Lunchbox? By MICHELLE BLANCHARD ARDILLO
Take a few minutes to sit down with
your child and talk about school
lunches. Even though you prepare
24 September 2018
washingtonFAMILY.com However, this might not be the easiest
solution for parents with multiple
school-aged children. Customizing
three or four diff erent lunches is not
ideal. So in this case, ask for their
lunch inputs in order to try to establish
a common denominator among them.

Paige Rienzo, a Kensington, MD
author, decorator and mom of four
shared her philosophy on this:
“Making lunches is much easier
when all four of my kids eat the same
thing. They agree on almost nothing
except the main — they all like pasta.

I invested in good thermoses, and I
often boil pasta before school. It’s no
more time-consuming than it is to
make four diff erent sandwiches. If I am
feeling particularly motivated, I will
add cooked peas or diced meats.”
Consider the Lunch
Setting/Time Frame
When new to a school, fi nd out in
advance the lunch sett ing and time
frame. In order to extend academic
time or recess time, some elementary
schools have reduced the amount of
time students have for lunch. If this is
the case, lunches that require assembly
or the opening and closing of multiple
containers may prove to be diffi cult
for younger students. Inquire whether
students are permitt ed to access a
microwave to warm leftovers, pasta
dishes or soup. While convenient,
this may also add to a problem with
timing. usako123/ iStock / Getty Images Plus
Get Your Child’s Input
meals for them every day, ask your
child what they’d like in their lunch
bag. The answer may surprise you.

Negotiations may be needed to reach
a middle ground of something you
can pack that will meet your nutrition
goals, but their input will result in a
more positive response to even the
healthier food choices. This can be
accomplished even with picky eaters if
you spend the time.

Marina Bakush/ iStock / Getty Images Plus
P acking school lunches has
changed quite a bit over the
recent decades. An acceptable
lunch from the ‘70s — a ham and
cheese sandwich on supermarket
white bread, a bag of chips, a soda
and a candy bar — has morphed into a
challenge for today’s parents who want
to give their children a healthy school
lunch that will leave them satisfi ed,
energized and most importantly,
happy. Throw in the goal of using less
paper and plastic disposable products,
and working moms and dads are left
feeling overwhelmed. With just a litt le
time spent brainstorming, shopping
and prepping, today’s parents can
quickly and effi ciently create nutritious
eco-friendly lunches that will be the
envy of the lunch table!



Think Outside of the “Bag”
When shopping for suitable lunch bags
and containers, think outside of the
“bag.” Try out these two alternatives:
Thermos. A wide-mouth thermos will
enable you to pack pasta, casserole
leftovers or soups. Caren Garayta, a
Montgomery County Public School
teacher and mom of six says of her
oldest, “A thermos that could keep
food warm was his best friend. He
loved having dinner for lunch! With
his Cuban-American roots, he loved
having rice, of course. But anytime
I made a soup or his favorite Asian
noodles, it was so easy to heat up in
the morning and pop in the thermos.

I also didn’t have to pack as much
because the food was so fi lling.”
Bento Box-Style Containers
usako123/ iStock / Getty Images Plus
Marina Bakush/ iStock / Getty Images Plus
But a thermos isn’t just for hot foods.

You can also pre-chill the thermos
by fi lling it with ice water while
you blend up a smoothie to pack.

Frederick teacher and mom of two
Maria Shumaker knows that smoothies
are the way to more sneak in greens.

“One thing I’ve done to get them to eat
more greens is by throwing spinach
or kale into the blender when making
smoothies. They don’t taste the greens
at all.” Pack a few deli meat and cheese
roll-ups along with the smoothie for
added protein. Use the pre-chilled
thermos to pack a cold pasta salad
tossed with leftover diced chicken and
fresh veggies.

This type of container allows for
packing smaller portions of a variety of
items, sure to please even the pickiest
of eaters. Cut-up deli meats and cheese,
veggies ready for dipping, fresh fruit
and crackers or pita wedges all in their
separate compartments will be more
appetizing — and fun — to dive into.

Some of these containers also come with
a section that can be sealed for packing
hummus, ranch dip or salad dressing.

Annapolis teacher and mother of three
Heather Sowells admits, “Use dips as
a means to encourage healthy foods.

Pack some light ranch if it will get them
to eat carrots.” For creative packing
containers, Grace Lovelace recommends
Kelly Lester’s website and products,
Easy Lunchboxes, easylunchboxes.com.

Sign up for a free newslett er for lunch
ideas or watch her videos. Grace also
recommends Laura Fuentes’s website
MOMables for more ideas.

Purchase Healthy Snacks
in Bulk
For healthy snacks that everyone agrees
on, purchase in bulk, if possible. Once
home, sort and store them in small bins
or baskets in the pantry or, if possible,
a cabinet or drawer dedicated to
school lunches. For a more economical
method of buying snacks, purchase a
large “party-size” bag of mini-pretz els
or popcorn and re-package in single-
serving sized baggies or reusable
containers. Having grab and go
containers with approved snacks makes
it easy for even younger children to
help pack their own lunches.

an apple … so my kids looked forward
to seeing what was in their lunch every
day. Some were hits and some were
fails, but they defi nitely let me know
that when they came home.” Maria
continued, “I also always tried to have
a ‘meal’ with protein, always a piece of
fruit, and then a small treat. If they got
a bag of chips, then they didn’t get a
sweet dessert-type treat or vice versa.”
Packing healthy and nutritious school
lunches can be manageable even for the
busiest of parents. To make unpacking
an appetizing and appealing lunch at
school really special, slip in a litt le note
to brighten your child’s day!
Michelle Blanchard Ardillo is a freelance
writer and middle school language arts
teacher who tries most days to pack herself
a healthy lunch to take to school. Follow her
@michardillo on Twitt er or Goodreads, or
on her website at www.michelleardillo.com.

Variety is Key
The saying that variety is
the spice of life is key here.

Kensington mom of four
Maria Welsh said, “I
will tell you that my
thoughts on lunch is
variety. I never packed
the same thing two
days in a row for the
kids. I remember Rob
[her husband] saying
how he hated his lunch
because his mother
always made a bologna
sandwich: two pieces
of bread, one slice of
bologna, and then maybe
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