What’s In Your Lunchbox?
Back to school and the dreaded daily scramble to pack a lunch that will pass inspection by your child. I don’t know about you, but I have opened a many a lunchbox at the end of the school day to find my child’s mostly uneaten sandwich remained. What good is it to send a lunch if they are not going to actually eat it? This may not be the case for everyone, but my kids like to be in control of their food choices. I figured out fairly quickly by letting them pack the lunches I worried much less about them being in math but thinking about being hungry. Here are some things that have worked for me.
I figured out my job was to provide lots of options that were easily accessible and easy to grab. I always sit down with my kids before school starts and ask for their input. Here are some of my kids favorites.
Trailmix
String Cheese
Jello
PB & Crackers
Chips, Cheeze Its or Goldfish
Go-gurt
Applesauce
Fruit like strawberries, grapes & apples
Turkey, Ham, Pepperoni
I make sure these items are packaged in a way that make them easy to overlook when lunches are being packed.
The kids gave me the specifics for what they wanted to see in their trail mix so I headed to our local Sams Club and purchased cashews, dry roasted peanuts and M&M’s to add to the pretzels, pecans and chocolate chips I already had on hand. I mixed all items in a large mixing bowl and then parsed out to snack size ziplock bags.
Jello & string cheese are also easy and fit nicely into a bin inside the fridge. I cut up strawberries, grapes and broccoli to add to snack size ziplock as well. Love these little mini containers for a little ranch to dip with. My kids have eaten so much more fruit since I began packaging individually even when they are home.
Thank goodness for Jif to go packets! I am sure it is much more economical to add PB to a tiny container from home but have you ever tried getting the remaining PB out of one of those containers? Time=money and buying these suckers saves me some washing time down the road I’m positive.
The only other decision to make is what my kids refer to as their “main thing”. Often this is some sort of sandwich and I try to change up the type of meat, cheese and bread to keep things interesting. I really think even buying little rolls or tiny slider buns would be a fun change. I have not been successful in getting them to roll up a tortilla but I think that would be a great option. Carly loves a pasta salad that I make so I whipped up a batch without a few of the ingredients she doesn’t care for and then packaged it up for her so all she has to do is grab and go and her “main thing” is waiting for her! She has requested a broccoli salad similar to this one next week.
Carly’s Favorite Pasta
Buitoni Tortellini large pkg cooked
Mix in:
1 container Buitoni pesto
1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan
1 small can chopped olives
Additional add ins could include pepperoni or chicken for some protein
Additional add ins could include pepperoni or chicken for some protein
If you want the kids to have responsibility for packing their own lunches then your job is to make sure it is easy to access. I have bins in the fridge that are at eye level for my kidos as well as two bins in the pantry which are also easy for grab and go.
Do I browse their selections? Some mornings I actually do and I use it as a learning opportunity to point out why we might want to add a little turkey and cheese and not take only an apple, grapes and strawberries. I really do not monitor every bite my kids take but I do feel it’s important they understand that a lot of sugar is not going to sustain you through the day and protein will help fill the void. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. I figure if they are eating some fruits and a veggies I’m going to count it as a win.
And what about a healthy lunch for mom? Well I am proud to say I eat food from home most days and limit dining out. I actually meal prepped for myself this week too and it feels so good to know I have something healthy waiting for me at lunch.
On Sunday I roasted some of my favorite veggies and cooked a batch of brown rice while Keith grilled up several steaks and chicken breast.
I added 1/2 a cup of rice, veggies and about 4oz of meat to my new rubber made take along containers. I always have avocado around so I will more than likely have 1/4 to 1/2 an avocado with each meal as well for some healthy fat.
Speaking of, while we were at Sams club on Sunday we ran across this bin of storage containers that were perfect. Is it just me or does everyone swoon over a complete set of Rubbermaid with matching lids? I love that the container they come in is actually also a container!! I’m a dork I realize but all of this was $19.97. I seriously have patted myself on the back multiple times.
Life just rolls smoother when the morning routine is not complicated. Take the stress out of packing lunches and let your kids pick up the slack. I promise even a kindergartner can handle it! Of course don’t forget to sneak in the occasional love note to surprise them.
Have a great day!
Visit my contact page for linkup parties I’m joining here!
Love this post! I need to up my lunch box game big time this year!
Girl this is so fabulous! I am going to start doing this. It will make for stress free mornings for me for sure. Thanks for sharing ! It is really true…organization is the key to a smooth life ! Have a great day!
Hope you are surviving the first week! Things have thankfully gone pretty smoothly here. Happy Hump Day!
Good way to organise the pack lunches without much work! #allaboutyou
I'm all about finding a way to cut out work! Have a great week!
Great tips! We probably need to invest in a new tupperware set. I am always scrambling to find the matching lids. I recently bought refrigerated uncooked tortillas. It takes about 2 minutes to cook them on the skillet, and it makes a big difference in how good the wrap sandwiches are. I'm going to give the homemade trail mix a try.
I love those tortillas! My hubby makes breakfast tacos for himself almost every morning and I bought those for awhile. Dillon is just so incredibly picky that it really makes lunches a pain if I don't plan ahead. I'm a sucker for a drawer full of freshly stacked tupperware. haha
I don't pack lunches for anyone anymore 🙁 ……but I also did the same for when my kids were at home and taking them to school! I still food prep for myself, so that during the week hubby and I can grab little baggies of fruit as we head out the door (him to work, me for errands or the gym) I also find its much easier to stay on track in the middle of the afternoon if I have fruit and veggies waiting for me in the fridge, vs grabbing a handful of chips! Its all about choices! Great post Shelly!! Hope the kids had a great first day back!!
My kids seriously will look right past the fruit an veggies unless they are all prepared and in little baggies for them to grab! This definitely makes it easier.
So after you redo my closet, can you come pack my lunches? Great post – Sam's is now on the to do list!
Ha… I bet your closet is better than you think! It has made this week so much more tolerable knowing lunches are taken care of. Hoping I can keep it up for a bit.
My daughter does not like the school cafeteria food and brings her lunch to school everyday. I'm always racking my brain for new ideas! Thanks for sharing this!
Jill
Doused In Pink
My kids will not eat in the cafeteria either! Once my bigs got to middle school they pretty much always ate at school but so far Dillon is not having it. I don't mind so much as long as I prepare ahead of time. I think the worst is when I'm asking them for suggestions and they have zero input! Have a happy hump day!
Awesome post! I SUCK at packing lunches and this has really helped! Oh, and I think Carly's favorite pasta just might become my favorite pasta! Sounds yummy (and thank you for adding that you need to cook the pasta!) 🙂
Your organization skills are inspiring. I need help making lunches interesting. Pinning this! Over from Tuesday Talk.
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you picked up a few tips. Have a great day!
omg school lunches stress me out! I'm so glad Annabelle's daycare provides lunch! I see all these Pinterest-worthy lunches and worry so much I won't be able to live up to that!
Hey Shelly,
I want for you to fix my lunches every day! These school lunches look wonderful! Your kid are blessed~
I came over on While I'm Waiting, and I'm glad to find your post today.
Although my kids are in college now, you've given me some great lunch ideas for all of us…
Hope you have a blessed day~
Melanie
My kids pack their own lunches and it has taken years of training. I'm a bit like you – I like to have the options available so they can good choices. I am jealous that you get to pack nuts, we are not allowed at our schools in Australia because of children with nut allergies. It would make life so much easier. Mel xx #allaboutyou
I'm honestly surprised they still allow us to pack nuts myself Melanie! My kids would be so screwed because more times than not there are nuts or a pb sandwich in their lunchbox! Have a great weekend!
Great ideas! I pack for my youngest son. My older two actually enjoy the school lunch – and it's free for the whole district. I'm trying to get beyond PBJ and crackers/cheese/pepperoni for my youngest though! visiting from This is How we roll
I am jealous! I have tried so hard to get my kids to eat at school but no luck!
I am almost speechless at the level of your organisation!!! Wow!! There are some fantastic tips here, and while my kids are a bit young to be packing their lunches, they are certainly great ideas for healthy snacks. Thank you so much for linking to #AllAboutYou – I hope that you can come again tomorrow!
Thanks! Staying on top of things really helps. So hard to make that commitment every Sunday but the payoff has been great!
Totally needed this post today! On day two of preschool, I let my hoodlums convince me they needed a almond butter and jelly sandwich.I suck at lunch boxes.
It really is all in the planning! I can't tell you how many times last year I had to rush out and take lunch to my kids (not that I don't love going to eat with them) because there was not a thing in the pantry to make a decent lunch. Staying on top of this definitely makes our mornings smoother.
You've given me a ton to work with lunch wise. I'm always trying to add new things to our rotation so that I am not tempted to hit up the drive thru.
Im trying to find things that arent just sandwiches, so thank you for the pasta salad idea! My daughter is only 5 so its still my job to assemble everything but I love pre-prepping and just grabbing and going.