School will be in session before you know it! Whether your child will be attending in person or remotely, preparing lunch should be simple. Planning lunch is just like planning meals at home. Here are some tips to cut down on lunch time confusion:
1. Plan a menu: Planning ahead will keep you on track and save time.
2. Get involved: Allow your children to get involved by washing fruits & vegetables, tearing greens in pieces, measuring & mixing ingredients, and reading through directions out loud.
3. Leftovers: Turn your leftover chicken into a brand-new meal. Remove the meat from the bone
and add to sandwiches, salad, or noodles. Pair with a fruit cup or chips for a complete meal.
4. Put a spin to it! Add a unique touch to traditional meals. Instead of sandwiches, try roll ups or pins wheels. Place your selection of meat, cheese, and optional tortilla on top of each other. Roll it up until you have a pin wheel.
5. Salad Varieties: The options of salads are endless. Traditional Fruit salad, crunchy chicken salad, salad with fresh fruit and so much more. Make it a point to have one salad option on your weekly school lunch menu.
6. Overnight Meals: Let lunch prepare itself while you sleep. Overnight oats can serve as a side dish or dessert to lunch meals. Just grab oats, milk, yogurt, cinnamon, and your fruit of choice. By the time you open your eyes, lunch will be prepared.
7. Sales ad and pantry: Plan school lunch based on grocery store sales and what you already have in your pantry. Not only will you save money, you’ll reduce the time spent grocery shopping.
8. Make it fun! Turn the kitchen into a social and fun place. Lunch planning can be a game. Take this time to teach your children more about the food groups. (Protein, Dairy, Vegetables, Fruit & Grains).
9. Assembly line: If you have more than one school aged child, pack lunch in an assembly line to make sure no one misses out on parts of the meal!
Research shows that school lunch is critical to ensuring students have the nutrition they need to learn throughout the day. Issues concerning behavioral, emotional, and mental health and academic problems are more widespread among students struggling with hunger. When
focusing specifically on academics, children who suffer from hunger are more likely to repeat a grade, receive special education services, or require mental health counseling, than low-income children who do not experience hunger (FRAC).
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance with school lunch, contact your child’s school to consider applying for free or reduced lunch. For general help with groceries, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is also an option. SNAP is a national food assistance program that helps millions of households access the food they need to be healthy. In North Carolina the program is called Food and Nutrition Services (FNS). SNAP/FNS provides households with a monthly allotment of benefits that can be used to purchase eligible food items.
Anson County Extension is partnering with the More In My Basket (MIMB), a program developed by Dr. Carolyn Bird at North Carolina State University Extension. MIMB helps reduce hunger by connecting North Carolina residents to SNAP. More In My Basket staff can answer your questions, complete a quick eligibility screening, and provide assistance with completing the SNAP/FNS application. MIMB staff will be happy to assist you. If you are interested in applying for SNAP benefits, contact MIMB program staff at (919) 515-9568. Assistance is available in English & Spanish.