By Taylor Sutton, MS, RD
United Supermarkets’ Lifestyle Desk
Lunchbox food can be a daunting task for some parents, and we hear it every year. This is not only a new year for your littles, but for you as well. There are many things to think about like allergies of your child or child’s classmates, what’s on the menu, how to open packages or containers, who is packing the lunch, keeping things within temperature, utensils, napkins, food waste and many other things.
First, we like to suggest talking to your child and seeing what their preferences are. You might be surprised with their current likes and dislikes, and it may even produce less stress around this mealtime. Here are our top tips to help you get ready for the best school year yet.
- Think about having transitional ingredients to reduce food waste, use less space in the refrigerator, and stretch your dollar. For example, nut butter. You can use nut butter for a sandwich, for dipping, or as a sauce at any mealtime.
- Have a plan! Throwing together a lunch in the morning without a general outline might cause unnecessary stress.
- Running low on time? Utilize the leftovers from last night or the night before dinner.
- Whether you carry your lunch in your lunchbox, backpack, or purse, having a handy way to transport it is key. Keeping items relatively close to temperature can be a tricky part to help prevent them going outside the recommended temperature range. Using things like insulated containers, ice packs, frozen sponges in plastic bags, foil is key.
- Get in the daily recommended servings of fruits and veggies! You can do this with so many lunchbox friendly items like: whole fruit and veggies, squeeze pouches, fruit cups, dried and freeze-dried fried and veggies and a few others.
Banana Nut Overnight Oats
What You Need
- 1 1/2 ripe bananas, sliced, divided
- 1/2 cup uncooked Quaker oats
- 1/2 cup lowfat milk
- 1 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Walnuts, chopped
How It’s Made
Add Quaker Oats to your container of choice and pour in milk. Layer Greek yogurt, bananas, honey, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla on top and sprinkle with walnuts. Refrigerate overnight and enjoy in the morning. Let steep for at least 8 hours in a refrigerator 40° F or colder. Best to eat within 24 hours.
