Yay! Summer is right around the corner and that often means Summer Camp. When my kids were younger they attended lots of summertime camps—soccer camp, Lego camp, art camp, lacrosse camp, writing camp and Good Ol’ Fashioned Day Camp with swimming, archery and crafts.

I tried to be sure that they attended the same sessions as their friends so that we could carpool with other families. With three kids to schedule and keep track of, you won’t be surprised to learn that I had a color-coded “Summer Fun” calendar posted on the fridge (insert eyeroll emoji here).

Lunch Box Challenge

The biggest challenge I had was packing a lunch that is a) appealing, b) keeps fresh on a hot day & c) has enough food to satisfy my camper. None of my kids liked sandwiches so I really needed to get creative. Lots of parents tell me that their kid won’t eat a sandwich and they’re at a loss about what to pack!

I used the same strategy for packing a summer camp lunch as I did during the school year. That is, I had my kids pack their own, using a template that we agreed upon beforehand. Their responsibility was to pack their lunch box with a fruit, a veggie, a snack & a “main”. If the camp was all day, I’d encourage them to pack an extra snack or two & maybe a frozen juice box along with their water bottle. My responsibility was to keep the kitchen stocked with the fruits & veggies my kids liked and to have enough snack-y type foods on hand.

What about the “Main”?

The “main” needed to be something with enough oomph to keep them from getting hungry. Mains included bagels with cream cheese, cheese & crackers, leftover pizza, ham or turkey rolls ups, cottage cheese, small chicken Caesar salad (yes, my kids loved this!), hummus with pita chips & veggies, pb&j on crackers.

How to keep it cold?

If your kiddo’s going to be outside all day, keeping their lunch cold is important for both food safety and because a warm lunch can be kind of unappealing! Bento boxes are all the rage right now (for good reason) but they don’t always have a way to add a cold pack. Here’s one that has an integrated ice pack. Bento boxes weren’t around when my kids were little. They had an insulated lunch box which worked pretty well. I kept bottles of water in the freezer to act as a cold pack and, when melted, became another source of hydration. Juice boxes can do the same.

What if you’re kid’s a Picky Eater?

My perspective is that a picky eater needs to eat familiar foods when they’re at camp. Don’t send a bunch of new food hoping that your kiddo might eat it out of hunger or desperation. Camp is chock full of activities and kids need to eat to keep up. A few thoughts:

DO offer guidance when your kiddo is packing their camp lunch. Create your lunch box template in advance and stick to it. Even if the apple keeps coming back home (exposure, exposure, exposure).

DO make sure that there’s a good variety of food groups. Aim for a fruit, a veggie, a starch, a protein and a drink.

DO send extra water and juicy fruits on hot days.

Have a kiddo who is overwhelmed or eats the entire contents of their lunchbox at snack time? Try colored silicone bags labeled “AM snack”, “lunch”, “PM snack” so that they know which food is for what time.

And finally, make sure that your kiddo can open the food packages on their own. Transfer contents to a baggie or small container if needed.

PS- Happy Birthday to my favorite blog reader –my mom:)

Snack Idea:

Fruit juice popsicle

Reach out at Karen@CoastalFamilyNutrition.com or call the office at 603-674-2479.

Please feel free to share this with someone who may like to learn more about feeding kiddos!