Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Lunchbox Ideas For Preschoolers

A child's lunchbox should contain wholesome foods for a balanced meal.








Prepare lunches for your preschoolers that they find appetizing. Children do not always eat the meals that are prepared for them. Parents should not worry about this and instead make certain that their child receives a balanced diet over a one- to four-day period, according to the University of California at Davis. Children are more likely to eat foods they are familiar with, and that are colorful and interesting.


Star Sandwiches


Make your child's sandwich more interesting by cutting the crust off the bread and using cookie cutters to cut the center of the sandwich into a star shape. The few scraps that remain can become part of your lunch. Balance out the nutritional requirements with colorful foods the child finds simple to eat. Broccoli florets or cherry tomatoes are good choices if a dipping cup of her favorite light dressing is included. Include seedless orange segments or apple slices dipped in pineapple or orange to keep the apples from turning brown.


Vegetarian Delight


Have your child help you make his lunch for the day. Make certain he is involved in cutting, assembling and wrapping his lunch. A good vegetarian meal consists of child-sized portions of crackers with cheese, carrot sticks with light dipping sauce, grapes and a cup of yogurt.








Lunchbox Surprise


Sit down with your child and prepare a list of the foods she enjoys in her lunchbox. The list should be categorized by protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals, and dessert. Add or subtract foods from the list as time goes on. At the beginning of the week, ask the child to choose one food from each of the various categories for preparation later in the week. Allow enough time to make certain the foods are on hand. Place a small surprise in the lunchbox such as a sticker, small toy or healthy treat. Tell the child she can have the surprise after she eats her lunch.

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