If you want to maintain any semblance of being a good parent, steer clear of searching for “healthy lunch ideas for kids.” The first result will likely lead you to some childless foodies over at bonappetit.com who genuinely believe that Asparagus and Gruyere Paninis and Curried Egg Salad Pinwheels are among the “25 Quick and Easy School Lunches to Pack For Your Kids.” According to their advice, you’re supposed to roast asparagus the night before or shave it into delicate ribbons with a vegetable peeler, then combine it with gruyere and drizzle lemon juice on top—before toasting it in a panini press the next morning. Or you could hard-boil eggs and whip up curried egg salad the night before, using your precious morning time to cut the crusts off bread and create “pinwheels”—which, let’s be honest, sounds more like a Pinterest fail than a lunch idea. The so-called “pinwheels” in the photo rest on a bed of lettuce—definitely not your average iceberg, but some fancy, hipster variety.
I adore my child and wholeheartedly support healthy eating. Since I started preparing his lunches for preschool, I’ve rolled up nitrate-free turkey slices, chopped raw veggies, and halved grapes to avoid choking hazards. I’ve even packed dollops of hummus and yogurt in cute little containers labeled with his name. I’ll confess that during his shape phase, I even cut cheese into circles, squares, and oddly shaped pentagons.
I’m all for weekend meal prep, like making cold salads or casseroles to simplify my weekdays. But pressing a panini (hypothetically speaking—I don’t even own a panini press) while wrangling a toddler at 6 AM on a workday? No thanks! I’m not about to drizzle anything, let alone engage in the art of pinwheeling. Seriously, the mere act of using “pinwheel” as a verb feels against my parenting philosophy. I’d rather conserve my energy for the essentials.
Even if I didn’t have a job, I doubt I’d devote my time to pinwheeling. My mom was a stay-at-home parent, and the lunches she packed for me were simple: a bologna sandwich on white bread and a thermos of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup with a handwritten note. I distinctly remember that there were no shallots in my soup. I never witnessed her crafting homemade pesto or grilling veggies for Lunchbox Pesto Shrimp Skewers. Instead, she was busy reading me stories.
Moreover, as one sensible commenter pointed out on the “25 Quick and Easy School Lunches” article, “I really don’t think you should send your kids to school with skewers.” Amen to that.
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In summary, packing healthy lunches for kids can feel overwhelming, especially when faced with unrealistic ideas from gourmet food blogs. Embrace simplicity and prioritize your energy for what truly matters in parenting.