This is a paid sponsored post by Kroger although all opinions are my own.
If you have a picky eater as I do, then you need some back-to-school lunch ideas that are going to keep them full and happy. Kroger’s Private Selection line has several delicious items for your kids that won’t send them complaining and bring back their lunch boxes empty.
I am living with a picky eater and he is almost four years old. I told myself when I would start a family, I would not raise picky eaters for children. I want my kids to be willing to try different foods and have a somewhat sophisticated taste palate. I guess that is wishful thinking because with my son, that did not happen. He’s a chicken nuggets and fries, a burger with ketchup, and a mac and cheese eater. How did this happen?! I made Homemade Baby Food and everything to prevent him from becoming a picky eater. Ugh, oh well!
The interesting thing is my husband, and I don’t eat that way. We don’t have boxes of processed dinners in our freezer or cabinets waiting to be made. Our son doesn’t eat that stuff either, but somehow he doesn’t eat the fresh and home-cooked meals that I typically prepare. To some of you, this is not a major concern, but to me, it is for one big and important reason. He will be starting kindergarten soon, and I cannot have a child come home hungry because he refuses to eat the lunch that is prepared for him. So I need to start creating lunch ideas for this picky eater, so he can eat a wholesome lunch that will keep him energized and satisfied, filled with fruit, veggies, and whole grains.
When it comes to making lunches for kids, I think Bento Box lunches are best. That is not an educated statement, just a personal opinion. You can put many foods in those cute little boxes that are bite-size, and they can even be fun to eat if you pack something that needs to be put together like a homemade Lunchable type thingy. Also, I think (at least with my kids) the smaller the portion size seems to be, the easier it is for him to eat because he isn’t overwhelmed with eating a large portion of something unless it’s the pizza, of course.
Luckily, Private Selection has great options for just that idea!
The Private Selection line by Kroger has many bite-size snack options that are easy for both kids or adults and small enough to fit into your lunchbox, and delicious enough to keep you happy. Not to mention, the portion sizes are already made to where you just pack them and go. This helps with prep time for cutting veggies, fruit, cheese, and protein. All you have to do is pack and go!
For working moms like myself, I don’t have a lot of time to do extra cooking to make lunches. When it comes to entertaining or doing any sort of meal prep, I need quality, tasty meal options that I can just put together.
Kroger Private Selection Lunch Items
For working moms like myself, I don’t have a lot of time to do extra cooking to make lunches. When it comes to entertaining or doing any sort of meal prep, I need quality, tasty meal options that I can just put together.
Here’s a list of some of Kroger’s Private Selection food items that are perfect for packing lunches:
- Turkey Snack Bites
- Beef Snack Bites
- Classic Cracker Collection Variety Pack
- Gourmet Cracker Cuts Sliced Cheese
- Original Hummus
- Ruby Rows Cherry Tomatoes
- Mini Seedless Cucumbers
- Little Gems Lettuce
- Sweet Cippolini Onions
To name a few!
Kindergarten Lunch Combo Options
Now that I have some options to pack my son’s lunch when he starts kindergarten, I’m able to make lunch I know he will enjoy and eat without compromising nutrition. Using some of the Private Selection items, I created three Bento Lunch Box ideas that you can make for your picky one too!
- Homemade Lunchable: Beef Snack Bites, Gourmet Cheese Cuts, Strawberries, Mini Cucumber slices, and crackers from the Classic Cracker Selection.
2. PB&J Box: Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich made with Private Selection Sugar-Free Whole Wheat Bread, Tortilla Chips (his favorite), mandarin orange slices, and cheese cuts.
3. Turkey and Cheese Roll-Up Box: Turkey and Cheese Roll-ups, sliced apples, Little Gems Lettuce, Chocolate Covered Pretzels.
There are other variations that you can create using the Private Selection items mentioned above.
Here are some other lunch options:
School Lunch Idea #4
- Original Hummus
- Ruby Rows Cherry Tomatoes
- Sliced Mini Cucumbers
- Turkey Bites
School Lunch Idea #5
- Aged Cheddar Spread
- Turkey Bites
- Gourmet Crackers
- Grapes
School Lunch Idea #6
- Cheese Quesadilla slices
- Honeydew melon
- Salsa
- Little Gems Lettuce
Whatever you decide to make for your kid’s lunch, be sure it is something they will enjoy and look forward to, time and time again. Start off using Private Selection snack ideas. Not only could you use them for your kid’s lunchbox, but they are great choices for entertaining and just snacking. Make sure you also include a thermos of your kid’s favorite beverage!
Lunch Prep Recommendations
When the kids go back to school, things are going to feel a little busier in the morning. Not only do you have to get everyone up on their new schedules, but there is also making breakfast, drinking coffee, getting ready for work, and packing school lunches. Here are a few simple tips to help make your mornings easier and less stressful.
- Pack the lunch the night before: Sometimes, I don’t mind doing that with single-eating finger foods, but when it comes to sandwiches such as Peanut Butter and Jelly, which is my child’s favorite thing, I typically don’t make those until the morning of to make sure the bread doesn’t get soggy. These days, I am not sure that PB&J’s are allowed in schools.
- Create individual containers: Place different food options that you or your kid can grab in the mornings to pack their lunch. For instance, you can have a bin of granola bars, baby carrots, small cups of dipping sauce, sandwich bags of mixed fresh fruit, celery sticks, yogurt tubes, sliced pita bread, and apple slices.
- Buy in bulk: I am typically not a person that likes to buy in bulk a lot. For us, things tend to go to waste sooner than get through the entire item. However, as the kids are getting older and Calvin begins to need to pack his lunch for school, It is going to help us to buy some things in bulk to have on hand to avoid going to the store each week for the same things.
Commonly Asked Questions
I get it. It is convenient and easy to pack a sandwich for lunch. But you want your kid to be excited about lunch and not get bored every day. I find that healthy finger food combinations may be more interesting and fun to eat for your kids. I recommend buying a Bento Box and filling each compartment with different food such as diced ham, cubed cheese, grapes, and a few tortilla chips, for instance.
There are a lot of ways you can do this. One, you can come up with fun combinations that you think your kid would like. For instance, maybe have a taco lunch day. In the box, you can add tortilla chips, shredded cheese, a salsa cup, and diced ham or turkey bites from Kroger. Another day would be to have a Mediterranean lunch with some hummus, sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, turkey, and hummus.
Leave a Reply