Our best tips for packing an awesome lunch

Bite Size

Lunch time is short, and full of distractions. Help ensure your nutritious lunches make their way into your children’s bellies before the bell rings by cutting it up! Convenient, grabbable sticks, cubes and slices are much easier for little hands and mouths.

Cut meats, cheeses, veggies, fruits into cubes or match sticks for quick and easy eating.
Worried about apple slices browning? Try the rubber band trick! Slice your apple and simply put the puzzle pieces back together to form a whole apple, and throw a rubber band around the outside to hold the shape!
Do you have some extra time and tools? Use cookie cutters to create fun shapes out of bread, tortillas, veggies, fruits and cheese.
Put it on a stick. Using skewers adds a fun and exciting twist to the simplest lunchtime meals.

Salad on a stick

Favorite Greens + Cucumbers + Grape Tomatoes + Olives + Cheese
Pack favorite dressing for dipping

Burger on a stick

Ground Beef or Turkey + Cheese + Lettuce + Pickles + Grape Tomatoes
Pack mustard or ketchup for dipping

BLT on a stick

Bite-sized Bread + Bacon + Lettuce + Grape Tomatoes
Pack ranch dressing for dipping

Breakfast on a stick

Bite-sized Whole Wheat Waffles or Pancakes + Breakfast Sausage + Fresh Fruit
Pack maple syrup for dipping

Dips and Spreads

Make veggies, fruits, meats, cheese more fun by sending a dip along with lunch. Choose whatever you know your kids like, they’ll be much more likely to eat everything!

Hummus
Nut Butters or Sunflower butter if the school is nut free
Cream Cheese – give veggie or strawberry a try. It’s easier than you think to make your own!
Ranch dip – Try Simply Organic’s line of dip mixes. Try using greek yogurt instead of sour cream for a healthy twist!
Salsa
Mustard
Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip

Snacks

Providing your children with healthy snack options will keep them away from the highly processed, sugar and sodium filled alternatives. These should always be quick and easy to grab and eat!

•Grab your containers and head to our bulk section to stock up on easy snacks you can portion like, dried fruits, nuts, yogurt pretzels, and granola. You can also make your own snack mix by grabbing ingredients in bulk and combining at home!

String Cheese from Organic Valley
Meat Sticks from Grass Run Farms or Ferndale Market
Fruit, peeled and cut

Need inspiration?

Check out Rock the Lunchbox for fabulous ideas, lunch box guides and manufacturer coupons!

Visit Lisa Leake’s blog 100 Days of Real Food for tons of great kids meal ideas.

Most of all, have fun with it. Happy lunching!

Kids and Food Allergies

Food Allergy Friendly Brands and Products at the Co-op

(for specific allergy free info please visit company website)

Made Good allergy friendly granola bars, Beanitos chips, Earth Balance vegan cheese puffs, Simple Mills crackers, cookies, baking mixes, Pamela’s baking mixes and cookies, Sunbutter and Once Again Sunflower Butter, Oatly oat milk, A2 milk, Tofutti sour cream, Kite Hill or Go Veggie cream cheese, Daiya and Follow your Heart cheese, Follow your Heart vegan eggs, So Delicious coconut yogurt, Follow your Heart eggless mayo, Go Veggie grated Parmesan cheese, Miyoko’s mozz, Van’s gluten free waffles, Udi’s and Rudi’s bread products, Siete tortillas, Sunbutter and Once Again Sunflower Butter, Explore Cuisine, Chickpea Pasta, and Field Day alternative pastas, Banza or Daiya mac and cheese

If you have a child at home with food allergies then you know the challenge of navigating school lunches. Food allergies can be frightening for parents and alienating for children. Nut-free zones and EpiPens have become the new normal in schools as two out of every 25 kids live with a food allergy.

Most Common Food Allergies for Kids

Approximately 90 percent of all food allergies are caused by the following eight foods:

Milk
Eggs
Wheat
Soy
Tree nuts
Peanuts
Fish
Shellfish

Eggs, milk, and peanuts are the most common causes of food allergies in children, with wheat, soy, and tree nuts also included. Peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish commonly cause the most severe reactions.

Making School Lunch Manageable

Involve your child in decision making about lunch containers and food options. Kids with food allergies can feel like their allergy runs their life, it is important to give them choices so they can feel like they still are in control.
Make lunch fun. Food allergies are serious and can be life threatening. This is a heavy burden for young children to live with. Adding some excitement to lunchtime can brighten their day and take the focus off their limitations. Simple steps like using a cookie cutter to make their sandwich a fun shape, putting a fruit skewer in their lunch, giving their food a smiley face with raisins or olives are simple ways to pack in fun.
Find substitutes for lunchtime favorites. Make sure kids don’t feel like their missing out by finding new options for things like yogurt, cream cheese, peanut butter, and crackers. Read more below about substitutes you can find at the co-op.
If you are a parent of a child who does not have a food allergy provide support and empathy. Living with a child who has a life-threatening allergy is a constant worry for parents. Educating yourself about food allergies in your child’s class can help you to understand little things you can do to provide support and understanding. This might mean bringing a snack or treat that everyone in the class can enjoy.