Empowering kids to eat right

[Vivaroo]

Just spotted these cafeteria lunch trays as an idea to let kids make (and most importantly eat & ENJOY) their own meals - ie fill up each compartment with different foods; various chopped/whole/grated raw veges, some hummus dip, nuts/fruit, a small portion of something baked like a vege lasagna, some steamed veges like peas & beans etc.  My kids took one look at the picture of the tray and got very excited!  They're a little older and are happy to eat all that I make (mostly) but still I notice the enthusiasm when I arrange a variety of ingredients out in bowls for them to create their own - eg sushi, tacos, mini pizzas.  Yeah 1 pot meals are still the best when we're rushing after work etc, but you know, get the maid to cut up a variety of appealing veggies and bit & pieces and see how the kids go with that. 

What are your kids enjoying right now?  My 11yo is very enthusiastic about making school lunches - the night before! (I could never get in that habit).  Makes my life so much easier, and makes her happy and feel grown up.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

My boys love chicken wraps.  They enjoy choosing their ingredients and assembling their own wraps. I set out a platter of salad veg, a bowl of grated cheese, homemade wraps, homemade sauces & mayo and some panfried salt and pepper chicken. My youngest loves salad and piles his wraps high, but my eldest needs a bit of encouragement with the salad veg.  It is a rather messy meal but very fun! 

[CreamPuff63]

Easy Lunchboxes are good, and there are lots of similar bento boxes now on the market. I like the idea of an isulated carrier as well to keep things cool.

[medusa]

I brought those easy lunchboxes from the Us and even though it was quite expensive to ship them here they are so worth the money and my kids lunches are so speccy!!  They also get a lot of variety and also saves on the plastic waste of ziploc/glad wrap etc.  They are very hardwearing two boys 9 and 10 who aren't as careful as they should be.

Where are the cafeteria trays from, I love things like that.

[Vivaroo]

I love the idea of those bento boxes.  Get sick of various size containers not being right sizes for lunchboxes, or lunchboxes that won't fit an apple or banana.  Whatever the container, must be watertight, that the smell of watermelon juice through the school bag in summer!

I just saw those trays on this blog, great ideas about making lists of the fridge giving the kids options of what they can eat, rather than them "starving" and complaining "there's nothing to eat".