How to Make Lunch for a Field Trip
It’s always a treat for kids when they get to leave school to visit a museum or historical monument. The key to packing a field trip lunch is to make it complete and easy for your kids to eat, wherever they are, such as on the bus, under trees on a lawn or on the front stairs of a museum.
It's always a treat for kids when they get to leave school to visit a museum or historical monument. The key to packing a field trip lunch is to make it complete and easy for your kids to eat, wherever they are, such as on the bus, under trees on a lawn or on the front stairs of a museum. Foods that kids can eat with their fingers are best. Make sure what you fix requires as little work for the youngster as possible.
Step 1
Make a sandwich for the main course of their lunch, which kids find easy to eat with their fingers. If your child is very young, cut the sandwich into four or six smaller pieces. Get creative with your choices and try rolling turkey up in a whole-wheat wrap rather than bread. For the vegetarian child, fill two whole-wheat slices of bread with cream cheese and sliced strawberries.
Step 2
Pack fruit pieces, rather than a whole apple or banana. Again, think finger food and select grapes, blackberries or blueberries. Or cut mango, apples and pears into chunks to create an on-the-go fruit salad.
Step 3
Stick with sticks for the veggies, as in celery, carrot and green bell pepper sticks rather than something cumbersome like a salad. Even cherry tomatoes can get messy, and kids may inadvertent squirt them at someone. Sprinkle the veggies lightly with salt rather than packing dressing or dip.
Step 4
Give your child something crunchy and salty, yet still keep it healthy. Air-popped popcorn, whole-wheat pita chips and multi-grain tortilla chips all work well in a field trip meal.
Step 5
Provide a juice box, made with real fruit juice, or a small reusable bottle of water so that your child stays hydrated with healthy liquids.
Step 6
Include an indulgent treat that your child can share with friends, such as extra chocolate chip cookies, for the special day.
Step 7
Pack the lunch in a reusable lunch bag or box that will hold all of the food items and be easy for your child to carry in her hands or backpack.