Depending on your household, back to school will look different for everyone, but we all have one thing in common – our kids expect to eat lunch! Over the years our family has tried a variety of ideas for preparing lunches and it always boils down to one thing – keeping it fun and exciting so they will eat it! (I know I’m not the only one who has opened a lunchbox to find rejected food!) So we have developed a great way to get lunches ready and eaten!
1. Involve: Ask your kids what they’d like to have for lunch during the week. This is a great opportunity to not only find out what excites them, but to teach them how to create a balanced meal. Think about your dairy, protein, fruits, and veggies. Here's a guide to you started.
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2. Plan: Make a list of the things that you’ve agreed on and head to the store.
NABISCO and Danimals are great additions to your child’s lunch. Your kids will love the taste, they are part of a balanced meal and they add fun to lunch! You can also provide them with a Horizon milk box. It's shelf stable and you can find it on the cereal aisle at your local Target. Be sure to add it to your list! Check out this Craft a Lunch page that lists out what to include each time you are packing lunch.
3. Shop: Grab the ingredients for your balanced lunches while also shopping for all of your back to school needs at Target. You can shop in store or with curbside pick up. Check out the Circle offers in the Target App for savings and score:
10% off Danimals Yogurt August 9-15th, August 23-29th and September 10-19th
10% off Horizon Organic Milk Boxes August 9- September 9th and 15% off September 10-19th
10% off NABISCO Multipack Snacks August 10 - September 7th
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4. Prepare: Once you’ve done your shopping, take a few minutes to prepare the lunch ahead of time. Who wants to make lunch during your already crazy morning routine? Taking the time to cut up all of the veggies in advance saves time when it comes to packing. I suggest making sandwiches the night before. Danimals Pouches can be frozen and thawed – perfect for packing lunch to go. NABISCO Multipacks are portioned so you don’t have to calculate and their Multipacks provide a variety of options making it easy to mix it up during the week.
It’s also fun to let the kids get creative. Maybe they want their sandwich in the shape of a butterfly (great for those kids who don’t like crust) or their kiwi in the shape of a flower!
5. Add some love: When your kids aren’t looking, add a little fun. A sweet note to encourage them during the day, a little origami animal to brighten their mood, or a cute handwritten message puzzle.
6. Enjoy! Whether they are taking lunch to school, daycare, or eating at home, having fun pre-made lunches makes the day smoother. It's one more thing off your daily to-do list, it helps you provide them with a balanced meal, and it lets them be more independent at lunch time.
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"Under the Sea" themed lunch (starfish sandwich, carrot bubbles, shark watermelon and an origami crab) | A handwritten joke on a small puzzle. |
Macaroni Kid Fredericksburg is proud to partner with NABISCO and Danimals on this campaign. All opinions expressed are my own.
