I love packing my daughter’s school lunch. Well, at least for the first week anyway. This year we’ll have a second grader and my youngest starts preschool. That means packing two lunches every morning. The challenge to packing a midday school meal is making sure my kids will eat it and it doesn’t take me too long to assemble in the mornings.
Here’s how I make packing school lunches simple and fun:
1. Create a menu. Ask your kids to write or draw a list of foods they want to see in their lunchbox. When you’re stumped on what to pack, take a look at their menu. We keep our list on the fridge.
2. Make it bite sized. There’s something about miniature versions that kids just love. Cut PB&J sandwiches into small triangles or squares. Cut cheese and meats with small cookie cutters and serve with mini-crackers. My kids like the fresh mini-mozzarella balls.
3. Put it on a stick. Toothpicks are your best friend when it comes to packing lunches. I make fruit skewers, meat and cheese skewers, and whatever will stay on a toothpick.
4. Use cupcake liners to keep food separate. My daughter hates it when her food touches. If you don’t have a lunch container with compartments like the Lock and Lock in my pictures, cupcake liners are practical and pretty.
5. Pack the rainbow. Not only will a colorful selection of food look more appealing to your children, but it will ensure they eat a nutritious lunch.
How do you make packing school lunches simple?
Thien-Kim loves the mornings when her husband takes over lunch packing duty. She blogs about parenting, food, and tech at I’m Not the Nanny. She shares her love of books at From Left to Write.