WHY GIMME SHOULD BE IN EVERY LUNCHBOX

Stress less with Gimme

Now that summer’s almost over, it’s time to address the elephant in the room: packing the school lunch. With so much recent research linking nutrition with academic performance, it’s no surprise that making school lunches and snacks can put normally sane parents over the edge. Not only is there pressure to put together a balanced meal before 7am every morning, kids want their lunches to be the talk of the cafeteria, too. Before you decide to hand over some cash to your toddler and let your kids fend for themselves, find out why Gimme Seaweed might be the healthy and delicious snack you’ve been searching for to take the stress out of lunch packing.

The pressures of packing

A healthy lunch is more important than ever: Roughly one in three kids is overweight or obese and some children get close to half their daily calories at school. But it’s common knowledge that many schools struggle to provide tasty, nutritious meals that kids will actually eat. So, if the thought of packing school lunches is keeping you up at night, you’re not alone. A recent survey of 2,000 parents of school-aged children found that packing lunches is one of the leading causes of back-to-school stress. In fact, nearly three in five (59%) parents reported feeling stressed just thinking about prepping and packing lunch. And you probably don’t need a survey to tell you how frustrating it is when the fruits and vegetables that 83% of parents diligently place in the lunchbox return home untouched. 

Don’t let lunchbox envy ruin your life

Lunchtime trading and snack swapping might be less common post-Covid, but it’s still a highlight of the school day for many kids. 36% of parents surveyed admitted struggling with lunchbox envy–or what to do when their kid asks for food inspired by a classmate’s lunch. The days of packing a sandwich and fruit cup are long gone. Parents today feel pressure to create Instagram-worthy school lunches. To get an idea of what you’re up against, just scroll through Instagram and you’ll be flooded with images of avocados shaped like Jabba the Hutt, fried katsu versions of Kid Cosmic and Hello Kitty rice balls. As if that wasn’t enough, kids also have strong opinions about what they want for lunch. They insist on variety, more ethnic options, and the ability to choose what’s healthy versus being told to just “eat an apple.” Luckily, Gimme Seaweed Snacks meets all of the criteria.

Gimme is the solution to your lunchbox packing problems.

Packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, seaweed is seriously a wonder snack. It’s a great source of plant proteins, iodine, and polyunsaturated fats (aka “healthy” fats). But the best part–and the reason why your kid and your kids’ friends will love it–is that seaweed is deliciously addictive. Not to mention our snacks come pre-packaged in convenient, travel-ready packs that are practically designed for lunchtime trading. Salty, crunchy and packed with umami, Gimme Seaweed Snacks are a healthy, nutritious alternative to refined tortilla chips and ultra-processed snack bars. Just throw a pack (or two) into your child’s lunchbox and rest easy knowing that you’ve added a secret serving of veggies to their meal.

More tips for a stress-free lunchbox

• Introduce new foods alongside something you know they’ll eat.

• Take the guesswork out of packing by including something from each of the five food groups: grain, meat or meat alternative, fruit, dairy or dairy alternative and veggies.

• Visual appeal is important to kids but you don’t have to spend hours wrestling a cookie cutter. Just add color and variety with your fruit and veggie choices.

• Don’t give up on those fruits and veggies even if they come back untouched. They may not eat them every day but it’s still a great way to expose kids to healthy options with zero pressure.

• Save time and money by packing leftovers. Ground meat can be added to a lunch taco, pasta can be repurposed with fresh sauce and stews and soups taste even better the next day.

• Don’t skip dessert. Including a small treat puts a smile on their faces and satisfies their sweet tooth while you still get to control the portion size.

• Buy in bulk. Instead of buying snacks every week, stock up on go-tos (like Gimme Grab & Go) in large portions so your kids can pick and choose their favorites.