Learn how to empower your kids to achieve #LunchboxGoals independently with the tips in this sponsored post.
My daughter just turned 10 back in November and I’ve been trying to encourage her to be more independent. 
As moms, we tend to do everything for our kids. So, I’ve been making a conscious effort to empower her. I have her use an alarm to wake her up (or sometimes big brother does it!).
She picks her clothes the night before, gets papers signed and packs her backpack. She also packs her own lunch.
She LOVES checklists. If I make a list of things for her to do, a checklist for cleaning her bedroom or a list of items to include in lunch, she does very well.
This includes:
- Main entree
- Fruit or vegetable
- Drink
- Treat
I’ve written before about how much we love Entenmann’s Little Bites. These baked snacks are delicious, quality choices for on-the-go or in the lunchbox – always soft and moist – the perfect portion of happiness for everyone.
They’re on our grocery list EVERY week!
There’s a new product in town – Little Bites® Cinnamuffins.
(I will say that these are a little hard to find, but you can use the Entenmann’s search function on their website or chat with one of their VERY HELPFUL customer service representatives. The store closest to me who carried this variety was about 15 miles away at Food Lion. You can probably find them at these stores: Walmart, Kroger or Food Lion.)
The Little Bites Snacks are perfect for kids because they provide a great variety for the kids to choose from.
Muffins varieties include Cinnamuffins, chocolate, blueberry, and party. There are also many options for Cakes, Brownies, and Cookies.
Plus, they’re already portioned and packaged to be lunch box ready.
Information about Little Bites® Cinnamuffins:
- NEW Limited-Edition Little Bites® Cinnamuffins are the newest flavor to be added to the Seasonal Favorites® line!
- Little Bites® Cinnamuffins provide the irresistible taste of cinnamon in every bite.
- Little Bites® Cinnamuffins are baked soft and moist providing the yummy taste kids love and the good choice that parents want.
- Little Bites® Cinnamuffins are perfectly pre-portioned and easy to place in lunchboxes for little hands to enjoy at school or on-the-go
- Little Bites® Cinnamuffins contain no high fructose corn syrup or zero grams of trans fat per serving and are less than 200 calories.
- For more information about Little Bites® Cinnamuffins, please visit www.littlebites.com
Information about #LunchboxGoals Sweepstakes:
- Entenmann’s, Little Bites® snacks and Sara Lee® Bread have teamed up to host the #LunchboxGoals Sweepstakes.
- Fans can visit http://www.lunchboxgoals.com/ to enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win $2,500 for themselves and their local school of choice.
- All sweepstakes entries must be submitted by January 31 via www.lunchboxgoals.com to qualify.
- #LunchboxGoals also includes crafty yet easy lunchbox ideas and printables for activities with children.
- Entenmann’s Little Bites website
- Entenmann’s Little Bites Facebook
- Entenmann’s Little Bites Instagram
- Entenmann’s YouTube
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We mark at the beginning all the days the kids want school lunch so we know how many lunches to plan for each week.
Slice up fruit and veggies to make bite size or risk the food to be tossed. Kids like things they can eat in bite size portions.
Best thing I do is pack everything the night before, and meal prep on weekends for baked goods, and thermos foods.
I let my kids choose their own snacks and try to include fruit too.
always mix it up and try new things!
Plan for the week ahead
Have them help choose and pack their lunches!
I always pack lunches at night and I like to use reusable containers rather than wasteful plastic bags to hold the fruit/sandwich/veggies/snacks.
I have always peeled, sliced, unwrapped and recycled at home before sending them off. Using reusable containers helps waste and recycle at home. Not at school
For older kids, attach an apple slicer with a velcro strap to the inside of their lunch bag. That way they can freshly slice the apple without a knife and avoid it turning brown. I have tiny 2″ tupperware-type containers that are great for peanut butter or anything else they like to dunk apples in (these also work great for salad dressing, mayo, etc).
I let the kids decide what they want but they can only have one “unhealthy ” item.
PB&J sandwiches hold up well being made in advance and freezing.
I always try to pack a balanced meal and always pack water as a drink instead of sugary juice boxes.
Meal prep as much as possible on Sunday night, and let your kids help.
No salty or sugary foods. Fruit is the best.
My daughter likes cute or packaged things. So I found pre-cut packaged apple slices (that had no added ingredients), and cardboard juice boxes. She also likes eating things from cute packages so instead of plastic baggies, I found washable, reusable fabric sandwich and snack bags with all her favorite characters on them.
Put peanut butter on both slices of bread so the jelly doesn’t make one slice soggy!
Give them several healthy options to choose from
Always pack fresh fruits and possibly some veggies, then a little sugar, like a snack sized candy or small cupcake, or muffins. Then a sandwich, bagel, or crackers and lunch meat!
Pack something a little extra they can share with a friend.
My tip is to ask your kids what they want in their lunch
Keep a freezer stocked with lunch options
Packing the night before is easiest
I pack the kids Lunch boxes with the things they like to eat along with fruits.
Only pack food the kids will eat.
I try to have her help as much as she can from picking snacks and helping make the sandwich. She loves to help in the kitchen. I love to put funny notes in her bag for her to find at lunch.
I like to pack them the night before so my morning is not chaos.
Use containers with compartments
Have them help pack the lunch. Put the lunch together the evening before, with refrigerated items ready to grab in the Am.
Put pre-approved snacks fruits in accessible containers so that they can pack their own lunches with minimal to no help!
Meal prep and have the children help you so they know what they are going to be eating
I’m super anal about my kids lunches. They have to have a sandwich or some other thing considered as the entree, something crunchy (pretzels, crackers, ect), something fruity, something healthy (carrots, grape tomatoes, etc), a treat & a drink. I don’t pack until the morning, but I basically have everything ready to grab & go.
My tip for packing lunches is to always pack lunches the night before. Mornings are too busy.
I try to prepack their lunches the night before to help me on time in the AM. The only thing I don’t make until the morning is their sandwich.
My tip is to give your kids some say in what is included in their lunch. If you pack stuff they don’t want, they won’t eat it.
Meal prepping on the weekend is super helpful. We plan out a couple large meals during the week so assembling lunches is so much easier and it provides multiple options!
My tip is to do small sizes of every food item to limit waste. Especially if you have picky kids like I do.
Always pack the night before and avoid the morning chaos! Always have everything in ready to eat portions and reusable containers. Less ends up in the school trash this way!
Make sure everything is presliced and easy to open because they do not have a lot of time to eat lunch at school.
To make sure that you include some healthy snacks, like fruits and vegetables.
My tip is to cut fruits and veggies in bite sized pieces so they are more likely to eat them.
I try to load the lunchbox with healthy food that they like. It’s heartbreaking to discover that my kiddo didn’t eat.
Pack lunches the night before. Leave encouraging notes for them to find.
I usually pack veggies and protein like PBJ, and water. Very simple and nutricious
Try to include an encouraging note even if it’s written on a napkin
We try to pack fun colored stuff and me and my kids make their lunches together. It makes them want to eat it when they make it.
My tip would be to put things in organized containers for good food portioning and to include little notes or things like shaped fruit roll ups or weird colored yogurt to keep it interesting!
When my kids have to brown bag it for a field trip, I freeze a half a bottle of spring water ( laying it down on it’s side so that the ice is all up and down the side) and refill it in the morning when I pack their lunches. That way they have ice to keep their lunches cool, their water cool and nothing that needs to be brought home, it can all be thrown away (and recycled).
I alternate her favorite things during the week. I don’t want her to get bored with the same thing.
What tips do you have for packing kids’ lunches?
i don’t have any kids,but give em what they will eat
Try and make the fruits and vegetables interesting
Dont over pack things
Introduce healthy slowly and reward ..
For you and your kids to pack it together.
We always pack fruit as well as a treat as a part of their lunch.
I love this I too have a 10 yr old and she is trying to be more ” grown” I am encouraging it as well ! Good job!
Let kids help so you know they will eat what you pack.
Keep it simple
Letting the kids make the choices from a list of food is a big help. Then I know they will eat it and enjoy it.
Pack the night before except the things that need to be kept cold. Have those things ready to add in the morning.
Pack 1 fewer item than you think so they’ll be hungry enough to eat everything and less likely to waste food!
I let them pick out one thing and then I pick one…..they seem to agree with that
My 14 month old lives the blueberry muffins for breakfast so I’m buying a box a week lol❤❤
Prepare the night before and make sure they have a variety of healthy foods. Also make sure it’s bie sized for small fingers.
plan a week ahead for each day and be sure to do the little things ahead to cut down on the time needed to make lunch. etc bag grapes, carrots etc ahead of time to be able to throw in lunch fast
Don’t over full with snacks one snack is enough
What tips do you have for packing kids’ lunches?
I use the Rubbermaid LunchBlox and a Bento Box for my son’s lunches. I also make homemade uncrustables, instead of buying them!
I prefer to pack “clean”
I always pack one fruit that my daughter loves. Also I let her decide what she wants to eat each week so it’s more fun for her
I always make sure that my children have a healthy lunch!
I love all these ideas! I need to let go and start letting my almost 10 year old be more independent. She would love it too. I think the checklist is a great idea too. I struggle with letting her go because it never gets all done, but doing a checklist is an awesome idea!! Thank you so much and I appreciate it.
try to include veggies like carrots and fruit
great snack for all ages
Love these! Great snack to grab and go!
I like to pack lunch the night before and have the kids help me.
I get my kids to help with picking out and packing their lunch so they make sure they get something they will eat.
Pack fresh veggies and fruits with a pita pocket with tuna and include an encouraging note to give them a smile for their day
a banana, juice, water, sandwich ( whatever they choose to take that day) , fruits & veggies, and a snack of some sort, cookie, muffin, etc. It doesn’t matter if they didn’t eat it all, I always liked to have more, so if they are hungier that day, they have it with them.
I sometimes pack a extra piece of fruit or string cheese,almonds,etc for my grandson to share with a friend who is still hungry or didnt get enough to eat .
Keep everything sectioned in your pantry and refrigerator for lunches so it’s easy to pack the lunches
We try to plan out the lunches on Sunday night. This way there are no surprises! My daughter loves to have the muffins for breakfast though its fast and easty!
I prepare lunches the night before.
For us, a package of peanut butter crackers re a must!
I let the twins pack their own lunch each day. I do check them to make sure they have a fruit, main lunch, a veggie or 2 and a snacky snack.. they are 12 and have been doing it on their own for almost 2 years and do very well.. My tip would be to make sure to have the fruits & veggies on hand and precut for them so it does not take so long and there are no fingers mixed in with the food lol..
Pack the night before to make mornings easier. It is always nice to ensure that you have what you need to complete lunch the night before to avoid surprises in the mornings.
Fried rice and fruits
Thank you so much for the information!
Pack the night before to make mornings easier
Help them pick stuff out the night before.
Do what you can the night before, I’m not a morning person.
pack the night before
use cookie cutters for sandwiches for fun shapes
Give them things that they like that are healthy.
I just try to provide a good number of choices. Cutting the food into fun shapes also helps.
Plan ahead and make lots of food for easy leftover meals.
Make lunches fun and healthy and give a variety
Definitely meal prep I have six kids so it’s super important
My great grandson has A good Idea of just what he needs in his diet , so he only needs a little supervision while I watch him put his lunch together!
I love these little miffins. My favorite is the banana but ones.
Try to avoid candy in favor of fruit and dark chocolate!
My grandson packs his own lunch and he has to have one from each food group
sneak a piece of their favorite candy and a note telling them you love them in everyday
I freeze my daughters juice pack and use it as a ice pack to keep her food chilled and her drink is nice and cold at lunch.
Make it healthy and make sure its foods they like. Keep portions small. Proteins and complex carbohydrates.
Make a menu together and let them have their own shopping list.
Work with them on creating a menu for the week.
Make them fun! Cut them into fun shapes, etc.
Pack lunches the night before and include the kiddos in healthy choices!
Let them help! They seem to eat better if they have a hand in packing their lunches.
Let them choose one snack to put in their lunch
We mix it up. We mostly do healthy snacks but sometimes include candy as a treat.
We do a weekly menu, so they know what they’re getting each day
I pack my kids lunches the night before school so we don’t run late it the mornings!
I lay things out the night before and they get to pick one of the 2 items in each group. Yogurt or applesauce, carrots or celery with peanut butter, granola bar or breakfast bar etc. That way the are picking what they like.
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Pack food that they like so it doesn’t get wasted.
Find the healthy foods they like and will eat. Let them help pack their lunch.
My best tip is to have kids start early with helping pack their lunches. Also pack things that are easy for them to get into as well as several small serving size things. Most kids today get maybe 20 minutes by the time they sit down and big things just get pushed aside.
ALWAYS PACK FRESH FRUIT.
Pack lunches the night before.
We homeschool, but meal planning our lunches has been a serious game changer. I love knowing what I’m making them for lunch every day and it keeps us out of the PB&J rut.
I like including notes of love and encouragement in the lunches!
They had to fix their lunch the night before.
Pack something healthy in their lunch.
i always plan on sat that weeks packed lunched with ,y kids help.and i make it fun bite sized and sometimes make funny faces .but always add fresh fruit or dried fruit ,and always little notes with different sayings each day
Have the kids help you shop for these lunch picking out healthy choices then let them help pack them.
My tips are simple. Try new things, always put in something that is a favorite and add a “love note” every now and then!
For me it saves time to pack lunches at night. I pack healthy and fun lunches for the kids.
We prep the lunch the night before. We make sure snacks are easy to handle and eat. Friday is pick your favorite treat day in your lunch!
my five kiddos like a variety in their lunchboxes, i never put the same thing in there two days in a row
I always pack lunches the night before school so I have less to worry about on school days.
I always allowed my sons to pick out what they wanted for lunches and if it was a questionable item, I would educate them on why the choice was a bad one. I rarely had a problem with their choices because I always kept similar items on hand.
Fruit and a veggie and one not so healthy thing
I try and prep everything I can the night before so we can just pack up and go in the morning! Four kids at 3 different schools makes for a busy morning!
I make up everything night before of what they want but only healthy items
Healthy more than not
I found some small plastic containers with snap on lids. My kids like Ranch Dressing with Carrot Sticks. They also like PB&J.
My granddaughter loves fresh veggies and hummus
Have the kids help! It helps develop independent and self care skills. Also, you know they will like what they pack!
Pack those bad boys the night before school.. it’s a huge time saver.
and no plastic bags!
I have a snack box that I let the kids pick 2 items out of there for lunch each day. Makes them feel like they get a choice in what they have too!
I pack their lunches the day before to save time
Plan ahead and take personal taste into account.
My kids pack their own lunches and they do it the night before.
My tips for packing a kids lunch is to freeze a tube of yogurt and put it in the lunchbox and by lunch it should be thawed out enough to eat and at the same time will keep everything cold. Also make sure to use containers that are easy to open for your children. Making lunches the night before also saves time.
Pack the night before.
Always prepare vegetables and fruits by cutting them ahead of time to make it easier in the morning when packing.
NA
I make our lunches together the night before, to avoid the rush of the morning!
I make a prelim list of what items to pack for lunch and get fresh fruit weekly and pack meals overnight
Include vitamin gummies
I love to switch the snack up in their lunches to keep it interesting for them.
Make a menu each week and prepack the nonperishables
We like to go pack a variety of fruits and vegetables in different colors. I
Giving them choices seems to make lunches easier.
Th kids help me gather and slice /package everything for a few days worth of snacks at once to make packing easier each morning. I always include a short note ,too,wishing luck on a test or saying I loved them .
Best for me is pack everything the night before.
A little planning ahead and a little variety makes all the difference.
Besides food, I like to put a joke or just a nice note.
Thanks for the contest.
I love containers with multiple compartments and I build a rainbow with fruits and vegetables, plus a sandwich or soup in a thermos. Something about those beautiful colors make the kids far more likely to eat.
try to prepare lunches ahead of time