Gimme Five! 5 Tips to teach your kids to pack a healthy lunch!

Can you count to five? That's how easy it is to pack up a healthy lunch with your kids!

Here are our five ways to get healthy by teaching your kids to pack their own healthy lunch. Trust us, it’s easier than you’d think!

#1 CUT THE CORD:
Explain that you’re not going to make lunch anymore and that lunchtime is great opportunity to learn about nutrition, organization and taking control of what goes into our bodies.

#2 WHAT’S IN THE BAG:
Teach kids to pack an entrée (something with a protein, like nut butter, tofu, cheese or leftover meat) and two side dishes, including fruits and vegetables.

Teach your kids to pack their own waste-free, plastic-free lunchbox!

#3 ACCESS:
Move your reusable lunchboxes and the lunch pantry down low where your kids can easily see and reach everything they need.

#4 GO SHOP:
Take your kids shopping with their list. Focus on the perimeter of the store where the fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy products are located - not the center where most of the pre-packaged foods are located. As you make your purchases, discuss.

#5 REINFORCE THEIR CHOICES:
Don’t complain about their choices so long as their lunch includes at least one entrée, two healthy sides and a water bottle.

At ECOlunchbox we believe that if kids can learn to make good choices at lunchtime and pack their own, they are growing the food knowledge and practice they need to eat healthy breakfasts, snacks, dinners, etc...! To download a guide on how to teach your kids to pack their own lunch with even more suggestions, click here.