When it comes to school lunches, having some tips and tricks to keep meals interesting is a must. For about two years, I was lucky enough to have boys that liked the exact same lunch every day, but suddenly those days ended and Zackary and Benjamin decided variety was the spice of life as far as school lunches were concerned. That means that with a new school year quickly approaching, the time has come for me to start making plans and coming up with fun lunch ideas that will ensure my boys are fueled for the day ahead.

Luckily, making a fun lunch doesn’t have to be time consuming! Simple switches can make a big difference when it comes to the overall appeal of a child’s lunch. Looking for some ideas to help you make those meals fun and interesting? These are my favourite three easy tricks for making mom-approved and kid-friendly lunches!

Ditch the Bread

When my boys suddenly stopped eating the meat sandwiches that they had loved for so long, I wasn’t sure why. I asked them if they wanted different condiments or toppings on their sandwiches and they both requested custom sandwiches that they were sure they’d like…yet the sandwiches still came back with just a few bites missing. Then one day I ran out of sandwich bread and used multigrain tortillas to make wraps instead. Both boys devoured the wraps and requested them again. That’s when I realized that sometimes all it takes to make lunch more fun is putting the bread away. Since then, I’ve also sent the boys with flatbread or with whole-grain crackers, meat and cheese, and every time they eat their entire main course. [Read more…]