The time has come where all the kiddos are back in school! I have excitement that I can be very productive now and also sadness that I won’t be with my 3 girls every day. Now that school is in session, knowing how to pack healthy, yet kid-friendly lunches can be overwhelming for most parents like myself.
There are many reasons why I pack my girls lunch. First and foremost, when I do, I know how much they’re eating and what they are eating every day. Second, it’s much cheaper to pack lunch than to order lunch, especially when you have multiple children in school like most parents do. I find myself looking on Pinterest to find new lunch ideas to keep it exciting for the girls. But I would find myself getting very frustrated. So many posts about school lunch ideas look so neat, colorful and just absolutely perfect. To be honest, I don’t have the time to make it look neat and absolutely perfect. Instead I have learned to keep these staples on hand for packing my girls’ lunches. It has never failed, while keeping them happy all at the same time!
Top 5 Go-To Lunches:
- Sandwich meat rolls, cheese stick, carrots, banana bread, and applesauce.Yogurt parfaits with fresh fruits and granola, Larabar, and celery sticks with almond butter.
- Zucchini bread, fresh strawberries, blueberries, hummus n’ pretzels, and yogurt drink.
- Turkey wraps, apple slices with almond Butter, and carrots n’ dip.
- Cheese cubes, whole Grain crackers, sliced ham, grapes, yogurt, and Cutie orange.
Tips:
- Buy lunch containers that have compartments for fruits, veggies, crackers, wraps, yogurt parfaits etc. (I use Bentgo and have been very happy with it. You can click here to purchase one.)
- Pack your kids’ lunches on Sunday for at least three days and stick them in the fridge. It will take no more than 15 minutes and will reduce your stress for three days! (You can also buy Glad plastic containers that have compartments as well.)
- Let your kids help pack their lunches and teach them how.
- Let the kids pick out a nice water bottle for school instead of packing juices that are full of sugar. (I always buy a nice one that won’t leak or break if they drop it multiple times.)
- If you teach your kids how to pack their own lunches, it will make your life so much easier and creates good habits.
Allison Vimont is the owner of Champion Chefs, a local cooking class and birthday party spot. If you or your kids love to cook, this is the place for your family! They also offer after school programs for local public schools, private schools and homeschool programs! Click HERE to find out more info for a location near you!
