If you’ve found yourself asking what are the bet vegetables for a lunchbox or how can I add more vegetables to my child’s lunchbox, these 10 practical veggie lunchbox tips are fun, delicious, easy to prepare, and add an extra boost of nutrition.
I’ve been packing lunchboxes for a long time and the number one question parents ask me is how to add more vegetables that their child will actually eat. Whether your children are eating lunch at school or at home, snag a few of these new ideas to help boost the nutrition in their lunchbox.
All of the recipes I mention below are available on my website, holleygrainger.com.
1. Serve Dip with Vegetables
Don’t get discouraged if the raw baby carrots you pack for lunch day-in and day-out continue to be sent home untouched. Studies have found that children are more likely to eat their vegetables when offered with a dip. I think of dip as a “vehicle food” to help my girls eat more vegetables. Next time you pack a lunchbox (or serve lunch at home), try pairing with dippable vegetables such as carrot sticks, celery sticks, grape tomatoes, broccoli florets, or cucumber rounds with dip. Try my Creamy Homemade Ranch Dip, or use individually sized containers of ranch, salsa, guacamole, or hummus.
2. Create Veggie- or Grain-Based Salads
The options are endless when it comes to “salads.” They’re a fun way to add color, flavor, and a variety of ingredients. From traditional green salads to chopped veggie salads and grain-based salads, the options are endless. Make a grain salad with a base of rice, quinoa, or couscous, and stir in cooked or raw vegetables, along with your choice of protein and sauce.
3. Incorporate Canned Fruits, Vegetables, and Beans
Whipping up a quick Black Bean and Corn Salsa to add to a lunch takes no time when the ingredients are in the pantry and ready to go. Serve with tortilla chips for a yummy side dish or snack. The same goes for canned green beans—a staple in our lunchboxes. Because the girls eat them straight from the can, I can add them to a lunchbox for quick packing the night before.
4. Add Veggies to Sandwiches or Wraps
Go beyond traditional iceberg or Romaine lettuce, and give some other vegetables a try. Layer sandwiches and wraps with spinach, tomato slices, thinly sliced cucumber, grated carrots, or roasted vegetables for added crunch and flavor. And if you’re worried that your child is going to pick off/out the veggies, that’s okay. Remember that studies have found it may take up to 15 times of exposing a child to a new food for them to be willing to give it a try. Keep going!
5. Use a Bento Box to Add Fruits and Veggies
When prepping a Bento box, designate a fruit compartment and a vegetable compartment. Fill those each time you pack a lunch to ensure at least one to two servings of produce at each meal. It’s an easy way to remember how to add vegetables to a lunchbox! For more fruit and vegetable ideas, download my Easy Lunchbox Guide at holleygrainger.com.
6. Put It On a Skewer
We love sandwiches, and it is easy to get creative stacking sandwiches with veggies beyond the traditional lettuce (such as cucumbers, peppers, alfalfa sprouts, etc). However, I’ve found that skewers are a favorite of my girls. BLT Skewers always go over well and of course Pancake Skewers, Peanut butter and Jelly Skewers, and Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Skewers are favorites.
7. Add Veggies and Beans to Sweets
Don’t “hide” vegetables in food, but find creative ways to add it. Have you ever thought about adding canned pumpkin to Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, using lentils in banana muffins, or adding beets to pancakes? Get creative!
8. Change It Up
Have you ever sent corn on the cob to school? What about a baked sweet potato sprinkled with cinnamon? Oven-baked potato chips? Or Crispy Chickpeas instead of chips? Continue to keep your kids guessing or bring them with you to the grocery store to select a new fruit or vegetable to try.
9. Pack a Veggie-Filled Main Dish
If you’re already adding veggies to family favorites like Meatloaf Muffins shredded carrots!) then you never know what else your child may be willing to try. Cauliflower Fried Rice, Beefy Burrito Bowls, Black Bean Empanadas, or Homemade Hot Pockets may just become a new favorite! For a delicious make-ahead option, Beans and Greens Veggie Quesadillas can’t be beat!
10. Prep Fruits and Vegetables Ahead
Take some time at the beginning of the week to plan your lunches. This allows you to think about which vegetables you want to include and ensures you have them on hand. Families are more likely to eat fresh produce when it is washed and prepped. Designate a certain day (or days) to prep produce and store in the fridge in airtight containers. Make sure the containers can easily be reached by the kids so they can access them when they want a snack or when they’re helping prep lunchboxes. *Exception: Refrain from washing berries more than a few hours ahead, as this will cause them to go bad faster.
For more recipes and ideas, visit holleygrainger.com.