Pack Wholesome School Lunches This Fall

When it comes to embracing a real food lifestyle sometimes each person needs his or her very own light bulb moment. I’ve been packing wholesome real food lunches for both my daughters since the start of elementary school, but naturally there has been some curiosity about what kind of food is for sale in the cafeteria. So one day my oldest daughter asked me if she could buy lunch, and, since I feel that being too restrictive when it comes to food isn’t the best approach, I said “yes.”

She came home that day to report the school pizza tasted like cardboard and it was not a meal she enjoyed. When her sister was old enough to enter kindergarten she warned her from the beginning about how much she would not like the lunch served at school. So after figuring out on their own they weren’t really missing anything, my two girls have (thankfully) embraced my homemade school lunches ever since.

And when it comes to those school lunches, I think it’s important to get your little ones involved in the process. If they help you decide what to pack (or better yet – pack it themselves!) they are much more likely to come home with an empty lunchbox and a happy belly. Putting out a variety of healthy foods and fun lunch box supplies and asking them to pitch in is a great way to start.

One of our favorite things to pack in our lunches is fresh fruit, like berries (no recipe is required!). But it’s important to note that not all fruits hold up in the lunchbox very well. Bananas can get mushy, and pears can quickly lose their appeal. So you’ll often catch me stocking up on what I like to call “lunchbox fruit” that has no problem making it through the morning until lunchtime. And one of our favorites from that category is berries, especially strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries! Whether you pack them plain or mix them in some tasty yogurt – real food doesn’t get much easier than that. 

So as you’re packing lunches this school year, please do me a favor and don’t forget the fresh fruit for your little ones. I know the prepackaged snacks are quick and easy to throw in, but let’s face it – throwing in some Driscoll’s berries really wouldn’t take much longer and will provide so much more for those little growing bodies and minds!

For additional ideas on what to pack in their lunchboxes, visit Driscoll's back to school bento boxes page!

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