Build a Better Lunch

Good evening everyone!  

So I know some of you have been wondering where I went.  If you recall, my last post was about two new jobs I was starting in addition to my crazy life as a wife and mother of 2.  Well, it was a great run but I had to get back to what I loved most...being at home with my kids and focusing on www.jbistrostyle.com.  One of the great things about being at home has been the magnificant lunches I could provide my preteen daughter with.

With that being said, here we go with my "I'm back: Build a Better Lunch" post.  I had been thinking a lot about school lunches and just how unhealthy they really are, so that peaked my interest into "building a better lunch."  I spent countless hours looking at others ideas for the perfect lunch scrolling thru Pinterest, trying to gain a good understanding of what other mother's thought made for a perfect lunch for their kids.  Well, since all kids are different I knew that all the Pins I had viewed were okay but they weren't "perfect" for my kid.  There are 4 questions I asked myself before making her lunch and they are all very important to build the perfect lunch for YOUR kid!

Here are the steps I took to building the best lunch for my princess!  

Step 1  Is he/she a snacker?

Answer   Yes she is

Step 2  Adventurous eater or creater of habit?

Answer   Semi-adventurous

Step 3  Athletic or not?

Answer   Athletic

Step 4  Does he/she stay extended hours after school?

Answer   Yes

Now I'm sure you're wondering why these 4 questions are so important.  

If you answered yes to Step 1, then your plan should be to provide your child with many different small portion options.  If your kid is a big meal eater, chances are they don't eat a lot of snacks.  My daughter eats like a bird, little bits at a time.

If you have an adventurous eater, then I say go for it and give your kid new things they've never had before.  If you have a creature of habit, that's okay, just provide them with their favorites but try to put a small spin on them to see what they think.

If you answered yes to having an athletic child, their lunches need plenty of protein and probably electrolytes (like Gatorade).

Last but not least, and probably the most important question of all, does your child stay after school for extended times?  Well, in the case of my daughter, she is in performing band, she's in athletics and she attends after school tutorials a minimum of twice a week.  So she spends a lot of time after school with her own activities, and then every so often she attends the schools sporting event's which can last up to 8 pm!  If this sounds like your child you will need to pack a really hearty lunch box like myself!

Enough with the talking, lets dive into the good stuff!  Pictures of healthy and delicious lunches!

Lunch number one is garlic and lemon marinated shrimp with fresh made cocktail sauce, a tossed salad, edamame with sea salt, black grapes, and a protein bar. 

Lunch number two is tuna & crackers with pickles, peanut butter crackers, venison snack sticks & cheese, fruit bar, and mixed fruit with a honey yogurt dip.

Lunch number three is a cobb salad (minus the corn), hard boiled eggs, graham crackers and a banana.

And lunch number four is her "Friday Favorite" lunch.  Every Friday I give her a snack of her choice that typically is not healthy at all but it just makes her happy!  

This is pizza pasta salad, peanut butter crackers, roasted sunflower seeds, orange, protein bar, and mini oreo cookies.

These are just some ideas to get y'all started and the basics of what you need to build the best possible lunch for your kid and most importantly that your kid will actually enjoy.  My daughter has all of her friends begging for me to send extra food for them!

And as always remember to tell your friends, family and kids all about www.jbistrostyle.com!

Happy lunching and see y'all soon!