If I’m being honest, I do love to meal prep and it’s pretty routine for our household. However, the Sunday night lunchbox prep panic is REAL. Currently it’s just my husband and I, and though I’ve spent years preparing lunch boxes for my step-kids. You’re staring into the fridge at 9 PM wondering how you’re going to magically create five days of lunches that your family will actually eat and won’t get you judged by others
Deep breath. I’ve got you. Let’s start with the easiest breakfast hack.
Healthy Lunch Snacks (Pick 1 from each group):
- Fruit/Veggies – Apple pieces, clementines, berries, sliced veggies. Consider adding hummus, guacamole or a homemade healthy dressing (if you’re fancy).
- Protein/Dairy – Meat sticks (look for minimal ingredient, no sugar), cheese, energy bites, cottage cheese or a hard boiled egg; These last 2 might not be great for little kids.
- Grains/Nuts/Seeds – Trail mix, nuts or nut butter; watch for added sugar and oils. Whole grain bread or crackers with a banana, oatmeal.
- Special Snacks -Is it really a treat if it’s bad for you and causing your body harm? Sit with it, don’t send me hate mail. You know what’s here and it should be limited: cookies, cakes, processed food, chips, candy.
Instead of fighting their favorites, upgrade them:
- Regular crackers → Whole grain crackers, same shape and better ingredients.
- Fruit snacks → Juice Plus whole food gummies, real dried fruit, or freeze-dried strawberries.
- Juice boxes → Water with a splash of 100% juice or just water in that expensive bottle they are carrying.
- White bread → Whole grain bread, the fewer ingredients, the better.
- Regular pasta salad/Leftover pasta→ Add Vegetables like diced bell peppers or cherry tomatoes, my family loves mushrooms. Minimize oils and overly processed sauces.
P.S. Don’t forget about using a thermos to keep leftovers, soup, or oatmeal warm. And use wraps to make it fancy!
P.P.S Don’t forget your Juice Plus whole food gummies → Get them here for FREE!
What to do if you’re feeling stuck:
- Call me, maybe.
- Check out vegan based chef, Carleigh Bodrug’s healthy and insanely DELICIOUS treats.
- Visit these apps to scan barcodes to reveal healthier alternatives and improve your food and products – Yuka or Bobby Approved
Some days, lunch will not be balanced, and that’s OKAY. You’re not failing, just surviving. We don’t like those perfect Instagram posted lunches anyway! Your job is to show your family that eating well can be simple, enjoyable, and part of taking care of ourselves.
What’s your biggest lunchbox struggle? I bet other parents have the same challenge, and we can troubleshoot together! If you want to chat about easy ways to add more fruits and veggies to your family’s routine (including a simple option that takes literally 30 seconds), let’s connect. No judgment, just parent-to-parent real talk!