5 Greatest Reasons Ever Lunchbox Lunches Rule

1. Packing lunch is cheaper. I can pack more nutritious meals for my kids' lunch for less money compared to a school lunch. Because I pack healthy foods I know my children will like and eat, food is not wasted. That is money saved and eco-friendly.

2. Packing lunch is environmentally friendly responsible thing to do. If you have ever had the opportunity to eat with your kids and you look around as I have you will notice all the waste that goes into the cafeteria trashcans. You will see Styrofoam food trays, plastic utensils, napkins, plastic milk bottles, hamburger foil, plastic sandwich containers, and uneaten food and so on go right into the trashcan. At my daughter's school there are more than 100 kids in that cafeteria at one time in just one half hour. More than half eat cafeteria food. No calculate that times all the other half hours and all the other kids per day. Then calculate that with schools across the country, across the world. That is a lot of waste going to the landfill. Imagine what positive impact it would make on the environment if everyone switched to lunchbox lunches.

3. Packing lunches gives your kids more time to eat. They don't have to waste their time standing in a long line to order their food. They already have their food. They just sit down and start eating and they get to enjoy their half hour of lunch. The other kids unfortunately have to gorge their food to get a bite before lunch times is up sometimes.

4. You know what your kid is eating, if it is healthy or not, if your kid will have allergies to the food or not, if its fresh and natural or not. You and your child can pack their lunch. If they are allowed to voice and sometimes pick what they want for lunch they are less likely to trade it or trash it.

5. Frankly it taste better. If you have ever tasted your kid's cafeteria food you know what I mean. The food is dry, often bland, and not always fresh. Be careful though. Your can become bland and boring too.

1. Give them a choice. Let them choose a part or all of their lunch meal every now and then.
2. Add some dip. Kids love to dip food.
3. Does it all have to be healthy? Throw in something sweet.
4. Throw in a note too. It can be sweet, funny, a drawing, or anything as long as it comes from you.
5. Throw in a sticker or prize
6. Give the old sandwich a face lift. Try rye bread, french bread, multigrain bread, sweet bread, fresh baked from home bread ors omething different from the same flat bread you always use. While your add it change the deli meat, and the cheese too. There are so many varieties of cheese it's crazy. If you make PB&J instead of peanut butter try Almond butter. What about Tuna Salad?
7. Give a hot meal a try
8. Do your kids like nuts? Have them try a different type of nut every day. There are cashews, peanuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts and so on.

Sometimes it is okay to let them buy lunch. It's a good experience. Kids are curious about what other kids are doing. Eating a meal or two a week in the cafeteria won't kill them. It also shows them you are willing to compromise and they wont get bored of their sack lunch as. I let my girls eat at the cafeteria about twice a week. I alternate between sack lunch and cafeteria food.