I can’t believe how fast the summer has flown by! School is starting soon for my kids, and I know that for many of you, reality has already set in. Packing school lunches is a huge part of the daily routine and can definitely get tedious after a while. These five helpful tips will give you lots of ideas for making easy, healthy and awesome food your kids will love, whether you’re packing snacks for your preschooler or lunches for your big kid.
Something fresh and real with every meal. Try to include at least one raw fruit or veggie with every lunch. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just real, whole food. Keep it simple, keep it fresh and buy organic whenever possible.
Dinner for lunch. I love leftovers! When you’re preparing dinner, make extra so you can add it to the next day’s school lunch. Doing this will save you so much time, and it adds variety to the lunches. Throw in a handful of berries and veggie sticks, and you’ve created a quick lunch that’s also healthy.
Preparation is your best friend. Make the kids’ lunches before you go to bed and put them in the fridge. They’ll be ready to grab and go when you’re leaving the house the next day, and that’s so much better than trying to pack lunches during the morning rush.
Spinach as sandwich lettuce. I’m a big fan of substituting fresh, baby leaf spinach for the lettuce in sandwiches. It’s one of the healthiest foods on the planet and has a very mild taste.
Trade in baggies for one container. I love using stainless steel bento boxes for lunch—it saves so much time because you don’t have to individually wrap everything. Plus, these containers are easy to clean and leave no waste.
Wishing you and your kiddos the very best school year!