And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. —Genesis 1:29, KJV

From the beginning, God instructs us what to eat. He created man and woman from His image and our bodies are His vessel.

We must treat our bodies as we treat our minds: with the utmost respect. God originally created us to be vegetarians. It was only until after the Flood that He let man eat animal flesh.

Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. —Genesis 9:3-4, KJV

God then instructs us in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 which animal meat is acceptable. All throughout the Bible it is mentioned what foods man is meant to consume.

Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof. —Ezekiel 4:9, KJV

And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:  —Genesis 43:11, KJV

Society today has veered so far from what we were designed to eat, that our grocery store shelves are stocked with an incredible number of processed foods. Cheap, quick and convenient seems to be the motto in today’s world. School lunches are no different, especially when massive amounts of food need to be prepared and put together for numerous amounts of children.

God meant for us to eat of the Earth: clean, whole foods. This includes foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, oils, fish and meat. Unfortunately in modern society, with the use of factory farming and genetically modified organisms, it is very difficult to eat clean, but not impossible. The vast benefits of eating the way God designed us far surpasses the small inconvenience of preparing and cooking everything ourselves.

A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. —Deuteronomy 8:8-9, KJV

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:  —Numbers 11:5, KJV

Not only is it important to eat healthy, it is vitally important for a growing body to eat healthy. What your children eat will greatly affect how they approach food, how their body grows and their health as they get older.

Here are some healthy, simple school lunches that you can pack the night before school the next day to ensure your kids have the nutrition they need and deserve:

– Veggies & hummus:  Include carrots and bell peppers with a little hummus for your child to dip into.

– Soup: Soup is great in the winter to warm the soul. Make a big batch of your favorite homemade soup and save it in the freezer in smaller containers that can be taken out a few nights before to thaw and served for lunch.

– Chef’s salad: Hard boil some eggs, whip up some homemade ranch dressing and add your child’s favorite veggies to some fresh lettuce for a refreshing lunch.

– Fruit kabobs: Skewer sliced apples (tossed in a little lemon juice to keep them from browning), berries, cantaloupe and honey dew for creatively fun fruit lunches.

– Whole wheat pancakes: Who doesn’t love breakfast for lunch? Bake some whole wheat banana pancakes and make a yogurt sandwich with them.

It is your responsibility as a parent or guardian, and a child of the most high God, to feed your children the best foods available. It is more economical and satisfying to prepare your child’s lunch to take to school.

Make it easier on yourself and prepare a few lunches ahead of time so they are ready to grab and go. Pack items that need minimal, if any, refrigeration so foods do not have time to spoil. Include your kids in making their school lunch and have fun with it.