A metro Detroit mother of three has a system for packing school lunches — and she's sharing it with thousands of followers online.
Watch Jolie Sherman's report below
Zena Ibrahim, a lifestyle influencer known on Instagram as "Edu-Kids-Mom," has nearly 15,000 followers and regularly shares tips on healthy, budget-conscious living.
"For me, it's one of my priorities," Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim relies on reusable bento boxes and a five-item formula to build each lunch.
"One protein, one fruit, one vegetable, one whole grain, and one sweet or snack," Ibrahim said.
While she allows for some variety, Ibrahim prefers packing lunches at home so she can control what goes into them.
"I will say we do hot lunch twice a week just for variety, but I prefer making my own lunches because I can see what's inside the ingredients, what's inside these food items," Ibrahim said.
Health experts say a healthy lunch — with protein and vegetables — translates to fewer sick days, better behavior and overall better focus. Additives and preservatives are among the factors that can impact mental clarity.
Lori VanderWeele, a registered dietician at Corewell Health, pointed to specific foods parents should be mindful of.
"So, when we look at those foods, we're looking at potato chips, sodas, candies, fried foods, French fries," VanderWeele said.
VanderWeele also noted that school nutrition standards are changing.
"The dietary guidelines are getting revamped a little bit. So, by July 1 2027, schools are going to need to meet a little bit of a stricter guideline for salt and sugar specially," VanderWeele said.
When asked for her top piece of advice for parents, Ibrahim emphasized planning ahead.
"I definitely think making a list, planning ahead, checking your pantry, checking your refrigerator, I think that's the biggest money saver," Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim also recommends packing leftovers as another cost-saving strategy — one her kids enjoy. She created laminated cards with a visual chart to get her children involved in the lunch-packing process. Her son Michael, who is going into fourth grade, explained how they work.
"It's a graph. So, if you want fruit, veggies, protein, and snack," Michael said.
For Ibrahim, the goal goes beyond nutrition and savings.
"Packing a lunch doesn't have to complicated or expensive... I just think making kids excited about what they're eating is so important," Ibrahim said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
