Meal and Snack Planning at the Kids' Fingertips

I love the grocery store. Except when I hate it. My kids feel the same way. There are some weeks that they're chomping at the bit to come with me and other weeks where they're practically offended that I've asked. As I browse the aisles, I think about what's in season and I check out what looks good but I'm also thinking about what *I* want to eat and what *I* want to cook. This week I felt like having chicken thighs for dinner one night. And I was in the mood to make granola and spinach pie. I always keep my kids' preferences in mind when I'm shopping, but as the parent, I make the final decisions about what's in our house (and what's not). 

On weeks that my kids come with me to shop, they're given more freedom to choose what we purchase. Tired of chicken legs? No problem, I'll be flexible. Want those pretzels that we haven't had in a while? Okay. But once I've done the grocery shopping for the week, their choices are limited to what we have. 

After I shop, I manage the Food Library on our LaLa Lunchbox app and dim out those items that we won't have available for the week. It's a fast process, and it makes their meal planning easier as well. They make food choices based on what's in stock at home. But beyond lunches, my kids have started meal planning for their after school snacks. When all of this is chosen in advance, I can set up their snacks at night so there's (a little) less whining about how very hungry they are the minute they step off the bus. Win-win. 

It's been a system that has been working for me, though on weekends when I'm feeling uninspired, I still hand over the phone *before* shopping instead of after. However your family has chosen to navigate the world of kids and food, finding a system that works for you as the parent is critical. If you're looking for a way to lessen the load of lunches and snacks, check out my top time and sanity-saving tips. 

Best 4 Lunch-Packing Tips

Life is busy. There are various things I've done in the last 9+ years of parenting to smooth out some of the harried edges, like setting alarms on my phone to remind me about half days at school. Or buying toilet paper and tooth paste in bulk. Lunch is a big deal around here, as you can imagine, and making it a smooth sailing thing is critical. Here are our top 4 best time and sanity-saving tips: 

Pre-prep produce for easy packing. 

The best thing I've done for peace of mind is pack lunches at night. When we're in the midst of dinner clean up, I take the extra 10 minutes to pack their lunches for the morning. Think about it: the kitchen is still a mess. The dishwasher hasn't been turned on. The timing couldn't be more perfect. I carve out a bit of space on the counter and just get it done. Even for the most organized zen person in the universe (which I am definitely not), school mornings with kids aren't easy. Why add the extra layer of lunch packing into the mix? 

Simplify! Uncomplicated lunches are delicious! 

The second sanity-saving lunch tip? Cut fruits and veggies in advance so they're ready to go for those lunches. Naturally, this doesn't work with everything, like bananas or avocados or fruit that needs a few days to ripen. But for oranges, grapefruit, apples (with lemon juice squeezed on top to prevent browning), carrots, cucumbers and celery sticks, it's a godsend. And things like grapes can be washed and ready to go in a second. Talk about a time saver! When I'm in the kitchen cutting one apple, I'll cut four. While I'm cutting those apples, I take the extra 5 minutes to prep something else. 

Third, we absolutely keep it simple for lunches. Lunch doesn't need to be complicated to be delicious. Beyond the basic pb&j, there are loads of straightforward and healthy lunch options available. Here are some of last year's favorites.  

Let your kids choose their meals. You may be surprised with how healthful and varied they are. 

Finally, there are several reasons why I let my kids plan their own lunches. One of the big ones is that it takes the guess work out of my job. After a long day of work and parenting, I simply don't have the creativity to magically come up with something each kid will enjoy. By letting the kids use the LaLa Lunchbox app to pick their foods in advance (from choices that I've approved and selected), I don't have to reinvent the lunch wheel night after night. I've shopped ahead of time from the grocery list their choices generated, so I have what they want on hand. And here's something fabulous: they feel independent and in control of part of their school experience. The lunch room is a social place. I want my kids to feel empowered there, and this is an easy way to do it for everyone. 

What are your lunch packing tips? 

Camp Lunches

We've still got a few weeks of camp lunches to pack before the busy back to school season is upon us. The reality is, kids eat lunch every day – so whether I'm packing lunches for my three to cart to school, to camp or just to the park on a day when nothing is scheduled, I'm always on the lookout for lunch inspiration. I've been checking out this Insta account and of course this one and I'm looking forward to seeing loads of back to school posts on this one very soon. 

In the meantime, here are some of our recent camp lunches that have fueled my two older kids through days of nature camp, art camp and STEM camp and my youngest one through carefree days at the playground and the park. We update our school lunch gallery regularly (and have organized it into dairy, egg, nut butter, vegetarian and meat lunches to make browsing easier) so keep checking back for ideas there. 

fresh mozzarella sandwich kebabs, celery, apple and popcorn

waffle with mini maple syrup, raspberries, frozen peas, mango

chicken, pasta, cherry tomatoes, green beans, orange

eggs, green beans, roasted sweet potato chips, mango and raspberries, dark chocolate with pretzel

waffle with sunbutter and cinnamon, granola, egg, crackers, banana and raspberries

ham and cheese sandwich kebabs, carrot sticks, apple, dark chocolate with mint

cheese tortellini, green beans, pink grapefruit, raspberries and dark chocolate with pumpkin seeds

yogurt with honey and vanilla, blueberries, wax beans, egg, sugar plums, dark chocolate with pretzel

various eggs, crackers, plum, cucumber with herb salt, grapes, Annie's fruit gummies

cheese and crackers, nectarine, strawberries, pumpkin seeds, Annie's granola bar

waffle with mini maple syrup, Applegate chicken apple sausages, egg, apple, grapes

Easy Granola, 6 Ingredients

People and tastebuds are funny. My daughter can't stand peppers unless they are roasted, and happens to love roasted red pepper hummus. My son is anti-cheese *except* he loves macaroni and cheese *only* if it is made by my mother. He is kind of anti-dairy except for the fact that he could consume his body weight in yogurt every day. Food is like politics and religion in a way. We all draw our lines in the sand somewhere. I'm okay with that. 

My 5 year old son is usually a purist with his yogurt but lately he's been game to add some texture with granola. This super easy recipe is so easy, he could make himself if push came to shove. It's a staple in our home! We switch up the dried fruit to add variety and occasionally substitute maple syrup for the honey. 

Granola

Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup chopped dried fruit of your choice

Method
Preheat the oven to 375. 
Combine the oats, coconut oil, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Spread out on parchment paper and drizzle with honey. Bake for 14 - 17 minutes. Once cool, add dried fruit and toss well. 

Kids and Salad

I've seen and heard of kids eating all kinds of salads. I see it with some of my friends' kids, and on Pinterest that kids eat all kinds of raw veggies and salads for both lunch and dinner. It hasn't been our experience here. While my kids do eat vegetables, they're usually cooked in some way (with the exception of carrots and celery). 

So last week when my older daughter (9 years old) had a sleepover with my niece, I was shocked to get a text that she had devoured the salad my sister made for dinner that night. "Must have that recipe," I texted back. And boom! Just like that, a new chapter has begun chez moi. I went out the next day and bought the ingredients: arugula, endive, parmesan and lemon and served it at a dinner party where it was gobbled up by four out of the five kids, and by all of the adults. The salad itself is nothing earth shattering. We're not recreating the wheel here. But it is enormously comforting to see that if you keep offering new foods, that one day kids will be comfortable enough to give it a go. 

My daughter even requested it for lunch today. A first! She says she loves the spicy arugula and the mild endive mixed together. And she's a huge parmesan cheese fan. Plus, most things taste amazing with olive oil and lemon. 

Do your kids eat salad? If so, what kind? 

Arugula Salad with Endive and Parmesan

8 oz baby arugula 
1 endive, sliced
4 oz Parmesan, sliced with a cheese plain
Juice of one lemon
Olive oil to taste

Toss all salad ingredients together. Drizzle olive oil and squeeze lemon juice on top. Combine everything and eat immediately.