As we head out of summer and into September, we’re back into the school routine of homework, carpool and making lunches. Did we hear you groan or sigh? Ideally, you want your child to have a healthy, easy-to-make, delicious-to-eat school lunch to help feed his or her little brain and stay on track for a great day of learning. Realistically, it’s tough to get that grocery list, shopping trip and prep time to please our often-picky offspring.
We’ve reached out to our member moms (as well as grandmoms, aunts, dads, etc.) before and got some good tips through the years. We’d love to share them with you here and please comment below with your own tips for making Back To School Lunches as easy as ABC!
- Go gourmet… sort of!
Pack a caprese “salad” with toothpicks, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella sticks cut in pieces. Stir up a green smoothie and put it in a thermos – it can be as easy as spinach, orange juice, berries and banana. You can get creative with fruits & veggies and let your child be the little chef who helps you come up with ideas to try!
- Everything’s better with a dip
Instead of packing sandwiches every day, make a mini dipping platter for your kids! Fruit and celery pair really well with peanut butter. Or pack some veggies and hummus. Crackers can be a great pairing for both peanut butter and hummus.
- It’s not what you pack, it’s HOW you pack it
Kebab it, roll it, ball it up — they’ll eat it! You can skewer just about any fruit and many veggies (cukes, cherry tomatoes, peppers) on toothpicks. Roll up meats and cheeses with some spinach, lettuce or kale in between. Put them on a toothpick and voila – it’s a pinwheel sandwich pop! You can even pack melon balls in a small container or thermos.
- Interesting ice packs – creative & cold
Freeze juice boxes or fruit like grapes overnight and let them melt during the morning for a cold drink or snack and a cool lunch box!