Benefits of Packing Water in Your Kid’s Lunch Box
Packing lunches for your kids is no simple task nowadays. With so many food and snack choices available, many convenient but unhealthy, it can be overwhelming to figure out how to put together a nutritious lunch that your kids will enjoy.
Today, we’re going to take away part of the lunch box stress by suggesting one switch you can make immediately that, although very simple, will have a positive impact on the health of your child: Replace sugary boxed drinks with water.
The Case for Water
We all know that, for optimal health, it’s extremely important to stay hydrated. Of course, this goes for our kids, too. If they don’t bring water with them in their lunch box, chances are pretty good that they’ll go all day without drinking water. And even if they do drink from the water fountain now and then…well, it still won’t be the amount of water they need and, we’re going to take a guess that it’s probably not the best quality water.
Kids need a drink at lunch that will replenish and rehydrate their brains and bodies after an active morning. Sugary drinks that are typically high in calories and low in nutritional value just won’t cut it. Water is the ideal beverage to pack in your kid’s lunch box—it’s the drink their bodies need most and has no calories to boot!
Flavored Water
“My kid won’t drink plain water,” we can hear some of you saying. We get it. For some, drinking water may take some getting used to. First, if you’re not doing so already, we highly recommend having your kids try purified water. There’s such a wonderful difference in the quality and taste of Primo Water that we wouldn’t be a bit surprised if your kid who dislikes water suddenly chooses to drink purified water over other beverages.
That being said, it’s nice to change up the flavor now and then by infusing water with fruits and herbs. Add fresh slices of seasonal fruit. Popular options include lemons, limes, oranges, watermelons, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Depending on your kid’s taste, you can even try fresh mint leaves or basil!
How to Pack Water
Packing disposable bottled water every day can be wasteful in terms of both money and packaging. Reusable water bottles, on the other hand, are eco-friendly and are easier on your wallet.
We recommend filling up a BPA-free, reusable water bottle with purified water. If you’re able to pack two bottles, even better. One can be packed inside your child’s lunch box and the other one can be kept on hand to be sipped throughout the day and at snack time.
Make this one simple switch in your kids’ lunches every day and feel better knowing the change will have significant benefits. As far as the rest of the lunch goes…we’ll leave that discussion for another day!
What does your kid like to drink at school? Would they happily drink water?