School Lunch Ideas
One of the tasks of our morning routine is making sure everyone has lunch, and, that it’s prepared the night before. Now that it’s about half-way into the school year, I’ve kind of lost inspiration about what to buy for lunch boxes.
The kids are old enough to make their own lunches, but, I have to provide the ingredients.
And, to be perfectly honest? There’s not going to be a whole lotta homemade anything going on, and, there’s not going to be anything with a cute presentation, or, faces made of vegetables. Sorry. I suppose I want to be that person, but, I’m not. What little culinary inspiration I have, is usually reserved for dinner.
Will you think less of me if I ask what pre-packaged, or, no-brainer to prepare types of things you pack for school lunches?
We already take your basic applesauce, fruit cup, ham, and, tuna, pb & j, or, deli meat sandwiches, etc. but, perhaps I’m missing something obvious that will revolutionize their 20 minutes in the cafeteria.
There’s no way, or, time for them to heat anything, and, I may or may not be able to keep anything warm in a thermos. My ideal criteria is that I would be able to pick it up at Costco in industrial packs of 30 and just take it out of the pantry and place it in a lunch box.
I’m always curious what other people pack in the brown bag or lunchbox. When I ask the kids, they always say, “I don’t know, yet, judgment abounds when it’s time to pack a lunch, and, they don’t know what they want.
I also need to get better at bringing lunch to work, so, I guess lunch box ideas can apply to adults, too.
OK, who am I kidding? I never bring my lunch to work, but, I should. I need inspiration.
We’re not above letting them take Lunchables. I don’t know if they sell them in bulk at Costco. Also, letting the kids make their own PB&J usually does the trick, too.
I’ll go to Costco soon, I’ll report back anything I find.
Carrots, pita bread triangles (my daughter likes the onion ones), to be dipped in hummus (I tell her its like onion dip) or Cardini’s Ceasar dressing. Add grapes, loves, cheese or whatever and its a painless healthy lunch. Mine also likes hardboiled eggs and pickles (no, not together).
Or I make homemade pumpkin bread in multiple loaves at a time. Slice and freeze (with or without cream cheese). Will defrost in lunch bag.
Home made gorp (also can be frozen)- can make huge amounts, freeze in zip loc bags, and then the kid thinks she’s getting something special. I use Barbara’s cereal which are swetened with fruit juice (kid loves the Puffins) and lots of nuts and raisins to make healthy/filling, with just a few M&Ms and preztels to make “fun”.
What about mixing things up – like using mini bagels instead of sliced bread for the sandwiches, or using a cookie cutter (or Pampered Chef’s “make your own uncrustables” gadget)?
Or let them take cereal in a covered plastic container and buy the milk at school.
My daughter loves yogurt in her lunches so that is usually what her main course it, sometimes I can get her to eat a mini bagel with cream cheese or pb but no jelly, and on verrrrry rare occasions she’ll eat pb and fluff…if I make chicken nuggets the night before for dinner I’ll make a double or triple batch and send her some of those since she’ll eat them cold…also carrots and dip or cucumber chips with ranch dip!
Here we are not above cold leftover pizza (should there ever be such a commodity in the Busy Household). I picked up some whole grain pita pockets this week which our daughter is loving. It’s still a sandwich, but it’s a COOL sandwich.
Cheese and crackers are popular in our house. Throw in a little ham or turkey slices and you have homemade lunchables. Another one the kids like is premade macaroni. I’m not sure how they do it, but they can eat it cold the next day. Strange.
We throw pita chips in a ziploc with a small container of hummus. Sometimes for a change, I’ll use flour tortillas and make ham&chees wraps. Many times I just throw leftovers in a heated thermos. Like Bluegrass Mama, cold pizza is popular at our house.
I make tortilla roll ups using thin sliced deli meat, cheese, shredded lettuce, pickles or whatever they like. Ranch dressing is a popular condiment that gives it a little different taste than plain mayo or salad dressing. Wrap them tightly in saran wrap and they stay together and don’t get as soggy as bread does.
My daghter loves gyros (althoguh they do get soggy, we provide her with extra outer shells). With cassava chips and greek potato salad. Bacause of our Greek roots we eat a lot of greek food but, most kids love these just as much as chips and a sandwich.