Lunch Box Ideas for Preschoolers

Lunch Box

• Let your child choose the lunch box with her favorite character on it. Popular lunch boxes come with Dora the Explorer or Ariel for girls or Spiderman for boys. Let your child be a part of the process of picking the lunch box she will carry every day.
  
  

Food Choices

• Fill the lunch box with foods that your child likes. Depending on his age, he may be able to fix and pack his own lunch. Some easy choices are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cream cheese bagels, bologna and cheese sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches or even plain cheese sandwiches. .
  
  Try Lunchables (see Resources ) as an alternative lunch box idea. Lunchables come in many flavors including turkey and cheddar sub with applesauce, cookies, spring water and Kool-Aid singles. Add a piece of fresh fruit such as a banana or cut up pieces of fruit into bite-size pieces and put them in a plastic zipper bag to keep the fruit fresh until lunch time.
  
  Do not forget dessert for your child. You can buy snack cakes in individual serving sizes at the grocery store and include one in your child's lunch box. Alternatively, pack two cookies or other treats for variety.
  
  

Drinks

• Many lunch boxes come with a small thermos for hot or cold drinks. Fill the thermos with milk, fruit juice, Kool-Aid or other favorite cold drinks. Show your child how to use the thermos and make sure she can pour the liquid out of the thermos easily. If she has trouble using a thermos, ask the school if there are drink vending machines and provide her with money to buy a drink or send her to school with a juice box. These single serving containers make it easy for your child to drink her favorite drink and then toss the container when she is finished with it.