Over my years of teaching at Pathway, I have seen so many different “eaters” each day, when my students pull out their snacks or lunches. Some are picky, some eat the same thing every day. Many have aversions to certain foods, and some will not touch a fruit or a vegetable. I have talked to some parents who are concerned about getting their child to eat anything at school, because the child’s food preferences are not easily transported. Pathway’s commitment to a sugar-free campus can also throw a wrench in some of the easier options for lunches: pre-packaged foods often contain a lot of sugar. I want to attempt to provide some ideas. While Pathway does not necessarily endorse the following website as a whole, it does provide a plethora of options when it comes to packing children’s lunches, being creative and making healthy food more fun, disguising commonly unwanted food (vegetables, anyone?), and opening up our minds to trying new things. Ready for it? Here it is: this link will take you to a search I have done on the website (www.100daysofrealfood.com) regarding the topic, “school lunches”.
The following link will take you to a post the author of the blog did on how to choose what to pack, with tons of great pictures!
Following are some pictures from the website that may peak your interest and make you want to look into some of the ideas more!
I personally want to pack myself apple sandwiches this year! Don’t these items look so fun and inviting?
Using something like these smoothie pop molds could provide a lot of variety, and freedom from extra sugar.
Pathway parents: Remember that Pathway is a sugar free campus! I encourage you to talk to the staff or other parents if you need ideas or encouragement – kids can be challenging when it comes to getting them to eat the things they may “think” they don’t like. Maybe a reasonable goal for the start of the year is to just try it!
See you in a few short days,
Mrs. Green (Lead Elementary Teacher)