Leena's Plate: My Lunch Packing Strategy

How I navigate packing my toddler's lunch & snacks as a nutritionist, a printable checklist list to put on your fridge, and all my favorite containers too

Year 2 of 16 packing school lunches for Leena (though I’m hoping she’ll take over at some point…), and I feel like I’ve found a formula that keeps us both happy — for me as a nutritionist and for her as a somewhat picky toddler.

I know this will change a bit as she gets older — with an expanding palate, increased energy needs, and school + extracurricular schedules. But the general formula for sending balanced, satisfying lunches and snacks should stay the same.

In this post, you’ll find —

1. My exact lunch packing formula

2. A list of foods for each category

3. All the containers, lunch boxes, ice packs, etc. that I use too

P.S. This strategy works for packing older kids and adult lunches too.

Packed here: ButcherBox gluten-free organic chicken nugget, cucumber, banana muffin, cherries, raspberries, sliced organic cheddar cheese, olives, one cherry tomato for exposure, Sunnie crackers, Thrive fruit circles

My Lunch Box Formula

Leena attends a full-day preK program, so I need to send a lunch and afternoon snack. The parents rotate daily with a shared morning snack — which I have my own opinions about since I can’t control the quality of what’s being served, but that’s a discussion for another day.

My goals when packing lunches and snacks are —

• To keep her energy levels stable

• To keep her belly satisfied

• To have her excited to eat (most) of what I send

• To expose her to different foods or ones she doesn’t love (even if they come back untouched)

I do this by following a simple formula, made easier by the bento-style lunch boxes that generally have 5 compartments.

Lunch Formula

The goal is to keep protein + fiber high and sugar low.

1. Protein / Healthy Fat

2. Fruit

3. Veggie

4. Complex Carb

5. Fun Food

Snack Formula

I do a modified version and usually send some form of crudités plate.

1. Protein / Healthy Fat

2. Fruit or Veggie

3. Complex Carb or Fun Food

Is everyday perfect? Definitely not.

Maybe I need to go to the store. Maybe she’s not feeling well, so I’ll cater to what I know she’ll eat more of. Or maybe it’s just been a morning and the entire box is brown + a few lone cucumbers — the goal is balanced & colorful most of the time.

(Side note: While writing this post I realized there are a lot of chicken nuggets pictured. We do eat them frequently! But I probably only pack them twice a week in her lunches. See the protein section for other ideas on what I send.)

1: Ezekiel pita with organic cream cheese, cucumber & balsamic vinegar, Vandy potato chips, strawberries, a few Thrive fruit circles | Snack: sliced organic cheddar cheese, green olives, apple slices, Happy Wolf bar

2: Applegate organic chicken tender, Primal Kitchen ketchup, cucumber, green olives, paleo chocolate muffins, cherries | Snack: Sunnie crackres, sliced organic string cheese, Dino Bar

3: Butchebox organic gluten-free chicken nuggets, grassfed organic Greek yogurt with honey, strawberries, steamed broccoli with olive oil and sea salt, banana muffins | Snack: cucumber, dried Solely mango, sliced organic cheddar cheese, sliced Paleo Valley beef stick, Quinn gluten-free pretzel sticks

Category Lists

Okay, all of this sounds great in theory, but what about a list of exactly what fits into each category so you can print it, reference it daily on your fridge, and say thank you Erin every morning 🤩

I’ve got you covered.