Mom Solutions for School Lunch Challenges

Coming up with healthful school lunch choices (that your kids will eat) day after day is no small challenge.

If you are looking for ideas, local moms are sharing their tips this week for managing five common challenges parents face when preparing school lunches.

CHALLENGE: Packing something (nutritious) they will actually eat.

Solution #1: Involve the kids.

Barb Besse of Alamo, a member of our local Patch Parent Panel, says she handles this challenge by involving her kids, and lets them have a say in what they take to school.

“I always have the kids help me pack their lunches, figuring they are more likely to eat what they choose for themselves,” she says.

Other moms said having kids help with weekly shopping trips to the grocery store and farmer’s market makes them more likely to eat it once it shows up in their lunch box.

Solution #2: Set kids up for good choices.

Besse handles the nutritious part by providing healthy options.

“We start with a fruit or vegetable, then the main entrée,” she says. “Last, I have them choose two snack items — one can come from the pantry (typically chips/crackers/granola bar/cookies), then the other comes from the fridge (yogurt, cheese stick, edamame).”

Encourage pickier eaters to help plan what they would like in their lunches with lists you put together like the one found here. Educate them about good nutrition with resources from the USDA’s recently rolled out “Choose My Plate” healthy eating guidelines initiative.

Guided tours at some shopping destinations like can also be arranged and are a great way for parents and kids to learn about healthy and tasty options to pick at the store.

Solution #3: Get creative.

Kim Nowlin, a San Ramon mother of two who writes about cooking for family and friends, and eating “real food” on a budget on her blog ‘Food It Forward,’ likes to do be creative when preparing her son’s lunch.

Nowlin packs “breakfast for lunch,” including wholesome waffles or French toast sticks — upping the fun factor with a little powdered sugar in a mini salt-shaker — or she will make breakfast burritos, or egg sandwiches.

She makes kid-friendly “sushi” roll-ups, wrapping up julienned carrots, cucumber, hummus, and turkey and slicing it like a sushi roll. She even includes a little thinly sliced apple to take the place of ginger.

Many moms said a little creativity goes a long way. For example, cookie cutters can magically transform familiar foods like sandwiches, into kid-friendly edible shapes.

If creativity isn’t your strong suit, develop your go-to idea resources. Popular choices include websites like Weelicious, The Naptime Chef, School Lunch Ideas (particularly good for allergy-free ideas) and Parenting Magazines’ “Healthy Lunch Maker” application on their website.

Solution #4: Make familiar items, but with a twist.

Remember lunches don’t need to be elaborate, in fact for some picky kids it can be a turn-off.

Local moms advised taking ordinary and familiar concepts, like a sandwich, and giving it an updated and versatile twist.

For example, a great alternative to the traditional sandwich is a wrap sandwich. Perfect for little hands, wraps offer many healthier grain options that can be filled with a variety of ingredients, from sweet to savory.

Most kids like muffins and smoothies, which are also excellent familiar choices that can pack a great nutritional punch in a highly portable package. 

CHALLENGE: “I want what they’re having.”

Let’s face it, kids compare what they have in their lunch box with what is in their friends' lunch boxes.

Solution: Make your own version.

While prepackaged Lunchable-style meals her kids asked for are popular for ease, Melissa Parker of Danville wasn’t comfortable with the nutrition they offered. 

Instead, she has taken inspiration from the small bite, compartment concept and adapted to fit her family’s healthier eating goals.

Parker purchased a bento box from Pottery Barn Kids, which has several small compartments that she fills with fruit, carrot sticks, kidney beans, lunchmeat, cheese, raisins, crackers, and other less processed options.

CHALLENGE: Keeping it safe.

Solution: Temperature is the key, and a good lunch bag is worth the cost.

According to a food safety study conducted by the University of Texas at Austin, 90 percent of the sack lunches prepared and sent to school with preschoolers reached improper temperatures, making them vulnerable to food borne illness-causing bacteria. Cold foods need to be kept below 40 degrees, and above 140 degrees for hot foods.

For perishable items, it’s best to prepare and refrigerate, or freeze them overnight, and make sure your lunch container is properly insulated.

In fact, the importance of keeping the proper temperature means it’s essential that the lunch bags you choose have good cooling features. In this case, it’s worth spending the extra money for a good quality bag, moms say. Favorite brands include Cool Gear, and Fridge-to-Go.

On the subject of safety, get to know your school’s/classroom’s food policy and plan accordingly.

Some will allow alternative nut butters, like sunflower or almond, and others have a strict no nuts policy. If nuts are allowed, be sure to label what kind of nut butter is in your child's lunch, and save the teacher a call.

CHALLENGE: Time-crunch.

Mornings can be chaotic and trying to pack lunches while getting everyone dressed, prepped, and handling the inevitable hiccup is what derails the best of healthy lunch intentions.

The sometimes-intimidating task of coming up with, and shopping for nutritious lunch options can also create a time crunch for busy parents.

Solution #1: Plan and prep ahead.

Weekend batch cooking, chopping and slicing, and pre-packaging snacks over the weekend will save time and money during the week.

Get your kids involved with a measuring cup to prep their snack bags/containers, and help them become more aware of healthier portions.

Use your crock-pot, or rotisserie and cook up a larger portion of meat of your choice to be used throughout the week.

Solution #2: Remove the guesswork.

Most moms agreed that meal planning is essential to maximize shopping and prep time, as well as your budget, while sticking to your healthy eating goals.

One way in which Alexandra Le Ny of San Ramon saves herself time in the grocery store is by opting for organic choices, which she says removes the time-consuming guesswork and research from her meal planning.

In addition to batch cooking, some moms also opt to make a little extra when preparing their family’s favorite meals, and sending some to school that week.

Consider setting daily themes that are predictable for your kids and you, such as Mexican food day, sandwich day, soup and pasta day, etc. This gives you some focus, and kids like the sense of routine. But, be sure to build in some fun by having a wild card day, or local take-out day.

CHALLENGE: Preventing waste.

While food storage baggies, used in moderation, are a huge help to parents, using disposable packaging day after day creates a lot of waste and costs more in the long run.

Solution: Choose reusable options.

Using phthalate and BPA-free reusable containers, thermoses, and washable food bags is safe, green and economical. Great options are available from Kleen Kanteen and Lunchskins, and Reuseit.com. And, remember to label everything!

The advantage of reusable containers is also that kids can stop eating when they are full, or just eager to go and play, and reseal their leftovers and bring them home to finish later, reducing food waste.

Additional mom-tested food ideas to fuel tummies and brainpower:

• Almond or sunflower butter and jam on whole wheat. has great reduced-sugar options.
• Brown rice and bean chili in a thermos.
• Chicken, or just cheese quesadillas (cut, with a cookie cutter and put in a wide mouth thermos).
• String cheese, or for a great nutritional punch, sharp cheddar cheese cubes.
• Baby carrots, baby tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, celery sticks (be sure to buy organic celery, it’s number two on the Environmental Working Group’s yearly “Dirty Dozen” list of fruits and vegetables.)
• Hummus is a great protein source, and alternate dip for fruits and vegetables. Baba ghanoush with plenty of vitamin rich and yummy eggplant is also tasty.
• Bean soups are easy and versatile to adjust to individual tastes and give vital nutrition. If you buy beans in bulk, they are very easy to make, save you money, and avoid BPA in canned goods.
• While in season, go for berries and other sliced fruit.
• Trail mix, but be careful to check school nut policies.
• Frozen peas mixed with pastas. The peas will gradually defrost, but keep things cold in the process.
• Fruit leathers and dried fruits.