Filling lunchboxes daily with nourishing foods that the kids will enjoy to the very last bite and not throw anything away is a big challenge to take on when the new school year begins. Here are 10 ways to avoid lunchtime food waste.
Snacks
1. Bake your homemade snacks in advance and freeze them in individual portions using reusable containers and packaging. This is a more eco-friendly option and surely better than store-bought snacks.
2. Offer more choice in smaller quantities. By providing your child with more options, there’s a better chance that at least one snack will appeal to them.
Fruits and Vegetables
3. Cut up fruits. They’re more appealing to children this way and require less effort to eat when compared to the whole fruit.
4. Teach your kids to prioritize perishable foods. Meat, hard-boiled eggs and dairy products should be eaten first.
Sandwiches
5. Zone in on ingredients that suit your child’s tastes and preferences. Why insist on spreading mayonnaise in their sandwich if you know for a fact that they never eat it at home?
6. Switch up the breads and presentation. Young and old alike can always get tired of eating the same sandwich. Beat the monotony with a different type of bread that’s cut differently, which sometimes has the advantage of whetting one’s appetite.
Ice Packs
7. Add one to your child’s lunchbox to keep their meal cool for approximately 4 to 6 hours.
8. Use a frozen water bottle to keep their lunches cool.
Leftovers
9. Remind the whole family of this one rule: Bring leftovers back home, including anything that’s half eaten, to better control quantities, cook with leftovers, or compost what can’t be eaten.
10. Use leftovers from last night’s dinner for tasty lunches the next day. Don’t hesitate to double the recipe so that you can have enough left over in the morning.
