Sobeys: Back To School - What do you have in your lunch?

It’s September, and this means the kids are back at school. For parents, however, September means school lunches and how to get your kids to eat them. The staple school lunch—a sandwich, a couple of cookies, a piece of fruit and a juice box—becomes boring very quickly, and too much of it ends up in the garbage. So how do you make a healthy lunch that your child will eat in its entirety? We at St. Albert Sobeys can give you a helping hand with a whole grocery store of choices and expert advice to go along with them.

We know that one of the best ways to get kids to eat their lunches is to get them involved in making them. This can be as easy as asking your kids to choose among three choices of lunchmeat or fruit. Better yet, you can have them make their lunches. Also, take your kids grocery shopping with you. If they have a say in what goes in their lunches—or
any meal—they’re more likely to eat everything.

Time is usually a factor when it comes to making school lunches because it’s usually done at the last minute. We carry pre-cut fruit and vegetable trays, plus a variety of pre-packaged individual snacks such as chips and guacamole, hummus and flatbread, and mini cheeses just to name a few. These snacks are also good to have on hand when your kids have sports practice after school. And, in our “À La Carte” section by the Deli Department, choose from Asian cuisine, Ukrainian food, daily-made sandwiches,
sausage rolls and more.

A healthy lunch doesn’t mean nixing the treats, either. Our Bakery Department offers treats such as muffins, mini doughnuts and bombe donuts. As for drinks, you can’t go wrong with the huge selection of juice boxes, but if you peruse the front cooler by the deli department, you’ll find organic drinks including juices and pop. We also have a broad range of granola-type bars, crackers, popcorn and many come in Halloween-treat sizes.

If you’re a parent of a child who has an allergy to wheat, peanuts or even meat, making a nutritious lunch that doesn’t taste like cardboard can be frustrating. Laura in the Wellbeing Department can give you a variety of options to help make a tasty and fully nutritious lunch. And St. Albert Sobeys has the largest gluten-free selection north of Red Deer, as well as the largest dairy-free section in the Edmonton area.

It’s hard to think of school lunches when summer holidays are still in full swing, but back to school is coming. If you’re dreading the cycle of “what to make for my child’s lunch?” this new school year, we at St. Albert Sobeys want to help you and your kids make it easier. So, if you’re still stuck for ideas, our staff will be more than happy to offer suggestions that will have your kids “eating better, feeling better, doing better.”

Tips for getting the kids involved

• Have your kids help make treats such as squares, brownies or muffins that can be frozen and taken out when needed for lunches.
• Have your kids make their school lunches the night before, which can be the leftovers from dinner.

This sponsored content was produced in partnership between Sobeys and T8N Magazine