Put a Twist on Snacks and Lunches

Photo by Hannah Task on Unsplash

Every child is different, especially with their food preferences. We have come up with some suggestions to help your child enjoy healthy snacks and lunches that are easy for you to prepare! 

• Make food fun! Cut fruit, veggies, or cheese into different shapes using cookie cutters.
• Put snacks or lunch into bento style containers or use silicone muffin wrappers to separate items into one larger container.
• Mix up different flavors and textures in foods: salty, sweet, crunchy, soft, chewy, or something to dip in.  ​
• If your child doesn’t like sandwiches, try making roll ups with lunch meat or using a wrap/tortilla instead of bread.  
  

Photo by Miguel Andrade on Unsplash

• Have one item that is a preferred food for every meal and add in some items that your child may be working on trying such as different vegetables or meats. 
• Create homemade lunchables. Some children love to make their own cracker stacks or food creations, provide them with different items they can use to create their own snack.
• Depending on your child’s preference regarding food temperature, try to provide ice packs or a thermos so they can enjoy their food hot or cold.  
• Include your child in the lunch/snack making process. Allow them to be a part of choosing foods to include (using a chart would be a great way to pick a food from each category, such as 1 vegetable and 1 protein).

Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash

Blog written by: Caitlin Kraft, OTD, OTR/L