It’s 9 o’clock at night, you’ve finally got all the children to sleep, kitchen cleaned, and snuggled into your ever-so-comfy bed. Then, it hits you: you forgot to pack the kid’s lunches!
I don’t know about you, but my mornings are already rushed as is, there is not way I can successfully pack lunches before I send the kids out the door too. However, my forgetful mind NEVER remembers to pack their lunches the night before. So what to do…
I have come up with a successful strategy that saved me time, money, and sanity this past school year: meal prepping and homemade lunchables.
Let’s face it. It is so much easier to grab a lunchable out of the fridge, shove it in a lunchbox, and go-
but they are so expensive AND unhealthy!
I finally figured out a successful plan that I was able to follow through with the entire school year (such a shock for me, since I am always forgetting something and have the worse time stick with anything).
The first thing I did was think of the lunchables that my children loved the most and figured out how I could tweak them with a healthy spin. I then planned out four weeks of “lunchables” (I do a monthly meal plan, so this helps me know what to buy for the entire month).
After that, I spend each Sunday prepping their meals for the upcoming week. This makes our lives so much easier. That way, in the morning, all I have to do is grab their already packed containers (I use these Bento Boxes & LOVE them!), fill their lunchboxes, and go!
Now that you understand the process, I will give you a few examples of some of the lunches we pack for the week.
Weekly, Premade Lunches:
**These are just want I place in their premade containers. They also get “chips” (veggie straws, pretzels, goldfish, etc.), snacks (granola bar, trail mix, string cheese etc.), and a drink
- Cheese, Meat, and Crackers, Veggie*, and Fruit*
- Pasta Salad (Ranch, Pasta, Cucumbers, Cheese, and Tomatoes), Fruit*, and Yogurt
- Cookie Cutter Sandwiches (for some reason, are more enticing to eat than a regular square sandwich),  Veggie*, and Fruit*
- Pizza Maker (Multi-grain Sandwich Thins, pizza sauce, pepperonis, and cheese), Fruit*, and Yogurt
- Cheese Quesadillas, Veggie*, and Fruit*
Veggies: cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and green peppers
Fruits: strawberries, kiwis, grapes (cut down the middle), apples, applesauce
By making my own “lunchables” we save so much money each month (buying unhealthy lunchables for two children gets really expensive)! It also helps my scatterbrained mind and keeps my sanity during those busy school mornings.
Having a plan like this really helped us out this past year. Do you have any ways you like to help prepare your children’s lunches for school? Any favorite recipes (I am always looking for more!)? Comment below and let me know!
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