Help kids make their own lunches
Bonus: They’ll eat what they chose themselves
To grown-ups, cooking can sometimes feel like a chore. But to kids, it’s fun!
Through cooking for themselves, kids gain independence. Through sharing what they’ve created, a sense of pride and accomplishment: “I made this.”
Getting into the rhythm of packed lunches and snacks for a new school year is a great time to bring kids into the kitchen, as kids’ cookbook authors Deanna F. Cook, Melina Hammer and Jennifer Low attest.
“Even a kindergartener can help make their school lunch,” Cook says. Her latest book is Cooking
Class (Storey Publishing, 2015), where kids ages six to 12 can get creative with combinations and presentation.
“They don’t have to make anything on the stove — they can help make a sandwich. Or something like sandwich-on-a-stick (recipe follows), which is just cubes of bread, meat and vegetables. It’s like a little kebab. Little kids can help with that as well,” Cook says.
If they’ve made their lunch themselves, she says they’re much more likely to eat it.
From observing her kid recipe testers, she says they’re also more apt to try new foods, or those that they previously had negative associations with.
If you’re just starting to get your kids involved in making school lunches, Jennifer Low recommends helping them make something on a Sunday that they could pack the next day.
With some practice, they’ll be ready to start carrying that mindset throughout the week.
“I know a lot of families are rushed; there’s no time to involve them because you’re going to be slowed down,” she says.
“But if they’ve made things on weekends a few times and feel comfortable, start a dialogue. Say, ‘Hey, let’s pack your lunch.’
“It will only help. You’re talking about real food and getting them to understand what goes into food.”
As a food stylist, photographer and cook, Melina Hammer says her career became an education in what real food actually is.
“There is so much seduction in our current food landscape. I became a good food champion through my work,” she says.
“What better way (to champion food) than to connect to somebody who’s at the beginning of their journey?
“To afford kids this opportunity, empower them to really take a stake in what their food health and universe of eating is going to be.”