The challenge of a great lunch box meal

Weather.com offers tips to help you feel less stressed about the stuff you put in your kid’s lunch box.

Experts say a good brown bag lunch should include foods from 4 categories:

1. Protein [yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, meat]
2. Fruit [grapes, melon balls, berries, bananas, apples]
3. Vegetable [baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers]
4. Starch [flat bread, tortilla, crackers, rice cakes, pretzels]

You should involve your child in menu planning, shopping, and even making the lunch.

Finally, consider variety over quantity. Kids don’t have the time to linger over lunch – so keep portions small but pack a variety of options.

Oh, and don’t forget to stock-up on zip-lock bags. We use a lot of plastic bags because they take less room than hard containers in the lunch box.

Image: Weather.com