When a child transitions from day care to preschool, it often means lots of changes for kids and their families. One area of change that is sometimes overlooked is lunches. Every day care and preschool are different of course, but here are a few general ways parents can expect to see changes in lunches.

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Cold Lunches

Many day cares heat food for children at lunch time, but most preschools don’t. This seemingly small change can send parents scrambling for new ideas when whole swaths of favorite foods have to be cut from the lunch time rotation. No more mac and cheese for your little noodle head? Oh no! Have no fear — your child probably already eats lots of foods that can be served cold or at room temperature. If you’re looking for a few ideas, check out our Lunch Idea Guide. Also, it’s worth trying some foods that are usually eaten warm in a cold lunch box. My boys happily gobble up corn and peas while they’re still frozen, and they enjoy cold quesadillas in their lunch boxes too. If your child will be storing her lunch box in a cubby instead of a refrigerator, be sure to throw a couple of ice packs into the mix. To be safe, cold foods need to stay cold!

Independence

Preschool is a time for your little one to gain new skills and practice his independence, and that applies to lunch time as well. At lunch time, children are often expected to get out their lunches and eat them with little or no help from teachers. Make sure your child can open and close his lunch box by himself. It can also be helpful to give him a hand with items that might be difficult for him open. For example peel or slice oranges, partially open or remove the packaging from cheese sticks, and drain canned fruit and pack it into a container he has mastered opening.

Ownership

Your child will also begin to feel more ownership of her lunch as she gets older. Let her choose a special big kid lunch box to pack her lunch in with a character or decoration on it that she loves. It’s also a good time to start giving her a say in what foods go in her lunch box. Ask her if she would prefer strawberries or grapes? Carrots or snap peas? Let her pick a new food to try in her lunch when you’re grocery shopping together. She’ll feel proud to have a little control and it will encourage her to make good food choices.

Kids Appreciate a Little Fun

Finally, preschool is a great time to start having a little fun with lunches. Let’s face it — babies and toddlers don’t really care all that much about what their meals look like. But if you’re interested in packing lunches bento-style or even just adding a few fun touches, preschool is an excellent time to experiment a little. Kids will notice if their PB&J is cut into a train shape, and they’ll get a little giggle about a hard boiled egg with a smiley face drawn on it. It’s one way to send a little love their way while they’re away at school.

Have you made the transition from day care to preschool lunches? What changes did you make?