Empowering Kids by Teaching Them to Make their Own School Lunch

Thank you to Sprout’s and Box Tops for sponsoring this conversation!

Happy New School Year!

We have had such an amazing summer! I’m not sure I’ve ever packed so much fun into two months before.

But..(you knew it was coming, right?) I need some rest. I started summer completely burned out. Now, I’m looking forward the monotonous routine of the school year. Seriously.

I’m also really looking forward to the new school my boys will be going to this year. My first grader is starting a Spanish Immersion program at a school near us. My three year old will be going to the preschool where I taught before my boys were born.

Each year our family adopts a family motto. Last year our family motto was about serving others. This year our family motto is “I don’t do for you what you can do for yourself.” Sounds a bit harsh, but the gist is that we’re teaching our children to be independent.

One of our steps this year in our goal for our boys’ independence is that they get themselves ready for school. This includes teaching them to make their school lunch. When they make their school lunch, kids not only learn about nutrition, they are also taking charge and making their own choices. Kids feel empowered when they are given responsibility.

Teaching You Kids to Make Their School Lunch – 3 Simple Steps

The first step in teaching kids to make their school lunch is to make sure they know the basics of what you expect them to eat. In our house we stress: fruit, vegetable, and protein. I feel the need to stress starches or grains because they seem to find their way, without any effort at all, and in great abundance, into our diets.

The next step is to find foods your kids love that you feel good about them eating. Sometimes kids need a little help in coming up with ideas about what to include in their lunches. This printable lunch ideas chart will help your kids avoid staring into an abundantly full refrigerator and yelling, “MOM!!! There is NOTHING to eat for lunch!”

Teach the kids that it is important that they choose (at least) one food from each category. I’d recommend laminating the sheet or putting it in a picture frame with glass. That way you can write in the foods your kids like or that you currently have on hand.

(CLICK HERE for a Free School Lunch Printable you can fill in with your own ideas.)

We do a lot of our grocery shopping at Sprout’s Farmers Market. There, I’m able to find packaged foods that my boys love, and that I feel good about them eating. We’ve been collecting Box Tops since before my oldest was even old enough to go to school. I’m happy to say that you can find Box Tops on several great brands of foods at Sprout’s stores!

The final step is to find a food-prep time that works for your kids. My boys will have an early school time with a 25 minute commute to school, so they’ll make their lunches the evening before.

Box Tops at Sprout’s!

As I mentioned above, I’m super excited that brands we love and purchase at Sprout’s have Box Tops we can clip and donate to our boys’ school! Brands with Box Tops at Sprout’s include: Food Should Taste Good, Annie’s, and Cascadian Farm Organic.

For each Box Top we send to school, our school will be given $ .10 they can use towards updating technology, purchasing school supplies, or funding school activities. We already have several dollars worth of Box Tops we’ve clipped since May!

While a few dollars might not seem like a lot, you can imagine how it adds up. If every student saved all their Box Tops over the year and turned them in to the school…That has potential to turn into thousands of dollars of much needed funds!

Box Tops Giveaway!

Now until August 17th (that’s just a few days folks!) General Mills, in conjunction with Sprout’s Farmers Market, is giving away 25,000 eBoxTops to 4 lucky schools! You can enter and hopefully win your school this $2,500 prize! I’ve already entered and have my fingers crossed for my boys’ school.

Enter the Box Tops Giveaway here.

• NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Begins 12:00 A.M. PST on July 27, 2016 and ends at 11:59 P.M. PST on August 17, 2016. Open to 50 US and DC residents (except FL & NY residents), 18 years of age or older who are members of BoxTops4Education.com and have designated a school to support at time of entry. Membership to BoxTops4Education.com is free and available at www.boxtops4education.com. Void in NY, FL and where prohibited. Subject to Official Sweepstakes Rules at www.btfe.com/SproutsBoxTopsGiveaway. Sponsored by General Mills Sales, Inc.