You’re right in the middle of a new math concept with Kid 1.  Over on the computer, Kid 2 is completing a typing lesson.  Meanwhile, the toddler is pulling every book out of the bookshelf.  Again.  And it’s time for lunch.  Sure, you fed them a hearty breakfast a mere four hours ago, but now they’re STARVING.

Weeks of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches blur together.  It’s time for a change.

Enter the Lunch Tray! 

A lunch tray is a great way to imbue lunchtime with some color and fun. Perfect little compartments, just waiting to be loaded with a healthy variety of foods. The kids themselves can easily fill them up, if need be.

So, what’s going in the tray? Here are a few ideas to pick and choose from:

• grapes
• carrots
• olives
• turkey dogs
• wraps
• boiled eggs
• berries
• almonds
• sugar snap peas
• pumpkin seeds
• leftovers!

Some days, I add a small container of dip for veggies, salsa for chips, or caramel or chocolate dip for fruit. Their favorite (and mine) is guacamole!

The possibilities are endless. I recommend buying a different color for each child, so everyone knows whose is whose…and so mom knows who didn’t clear their dirty tray! Color-coded trays are also handy if you have a kid with food allergies, like I do.

For toddlers, consider mini muffin tins or ice-cube trays to implement the same idea, with smaller, age-appropriate portions.

Just because lunchtime happens every day doesn’t mean it has to be routine. Click To Tweet

There’s something irresistibly enticing about the bevy of smaller portions, each food relegated to its own tidy compartment.  It’s almost like having your own personal buffet. Just because lunchtime happens every day doesn’t mean it has to be routine. A colorful tray is a simple way to brighten lunchtime—and maybe the school day, too.