This post is sponsored by Welch’s® Fruit Snacks. I am being compensated for this post. All comments and opinions are my own.

Now that my kids are entering 1st and 3rd grade, it’s time to teach them to pack school lunches!

I honestly cannot believe that at the end of the summer, I will have a 1st grader and 3rd grader. Now that they are getting a little older, we are working toward adding in more responsibilities. My children are not particularly cooperative when it comes to cleaning up after themselves or organizing their personal belongings, but I thought I could teach them to pack school lunches so they can independently plan what they want to eat at school. If you’re a working parent and you don’t have the time to pack your own lunch anymore, you can worry less if the company you’re working at opted to have cafeterias for corporate settings.

Here are some tips so you can teach your kids to do the same!

 

Pack School Lunches: Select a Protein

This probably seems pretty basic, but we tend to feed our children what we eat, which really limits the variety of foods we expose them to. I generally prefer sliced chicken or turkey, so if I had it my way, my kids would probably just have chicken or turkey in their lunches each day. But Lydia discovered that she loves roast beef and corned beef. And rather than my favorite cheddar cheese, she loves Muenster cheese. So my advice would be, purchase a variety of meats and cheeses for your children to try in order to discover which combinations they enjoy the most for their school lunches. And if they aren’t into traditional sandwiches, try meat and cheese roll-ups without the bread or wraps with tortillas. For camp today, Bryce just wanted cheese, and that’s okay, too!

 

Pack School Lunches: Pick a Fruit and Vegetable

My children actually enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables, so they are required to select at least one for their school lunches. Their go-to choices are usually baby carrots, strawberries, or cucumbers, but Bryce also likes sliced apples and peppers, so we make those available to him as well. To help children gain more independence, prep the fruits and vegetables in advance by rinsing them and cutting them if necessary, but then allow them to bag up whichever they choose for their lunches.

 

Pack School Lunches: Pick a Snack

Allow your kids to pack a treat in their lunch boxes that they will be excited to eat {and that you could feel good about}. Not only are Welch’s Fruit Snacks a delicious snack that your kids will love, fruit is the first ingredient! It’s the perfect addition to your child’s back-to-school lunch, available in several flavors, including Mixed Fruit, Berries n’ Cherries, and Island Fruits. Be sure to check out Welch’s Fruit n’ Yogurt snacks, too, in Strawberry, Blueberry, and Cherry. They are available at your favorite retailers nationwide.

 

Pack School Lunches: Stay Hydrated

The last component of any school lunch is a drink. We like to pack water in the kids’ reusable water containers. The kids can fill ’em up themselves with ice and water before packing them in their lunch bags.

What independent skills are you working on with your children this upcoming school year?

Pin the Pack School Lunches ideas below!