Lunch Is Served...

 

My oldest son started school this past September and I couldn't wait to start making his school lunches.  In August I did a lot of shopping around and asked other friends and parents what they used for their kids.  Everything from lunch bags to food storage, what type of beverages they sent and most importantly what types of food.  I also joined a group on facebook that was created in order for parents to share their meal creations and ideas.  All the info I gathered guided me in the right direction when it came time to make my purchases.  Here are some of the things I purchased and why (including a brief review of each product).

Food and Beverage Storage:

1. Yumbox https://cutekidstuff.com/collections/yumbox - this is the box we chose for both Hudson (he's 4) and Georgia (she's 2).  We went with the container that has 6 separate storage units.  I loved this box because it allowed me to provide several different food options for my kids.  This is something I've always done for them at home.  I include several varieties of raw fruit and vegetables at every meal and in our home this is always referred to as their "salad".  The Yumbox allows me to send Hudson to school and Georgia to daycare with as much variety as they would get at home.  I usually put their snacks in the Yumbox and if I'm sending something else, it goes in a separate container.  So far the Yumbox has not let me down!  I love it and my kids do too - double bonus!  Lunch gets eaten 85% of the time.  The best part...whatever is left stays pretty fresh and I usually give it to them as an afternoon snack.  It also washes well but I simply rinse it out with warm water and a little lemon essential oil at the end of each day.  It never goes in the dishwater.  At the end of each week I do a more thorough cleaning.  SO far I give this product a thumbs up! - it's great for traveling in the car too!!
2. Lunch Bag https://cutekidstuff.com/collections/lunch-totes/products/stephen-joseph-firetruck-classic-lunch-box - my son uses this bag to put his Yumbox in (my daughter has a similar one).  It's simply a standard lunch bag.  The Yumbox would fit into any standard lunch bag with a little space leftover for other items (I'll talk about that later).
3. Reusable Snack Bags https://cutekidstuff.com/collections/snack-bags/products/stephen-joseph-reusable-pirate-snack-bags-set-of-2 - We bought 2 of these in September.  We use them for small snacks such as crackers or larger items such as sandwiches, wraps and pizza.  I can't say we've used them too often and already one broke last month.  I probably wouldn't buy this item again because I wasn't too happy with it durability.  My son is very careful with things and I watched what happened.  The piece that slides across to close the bag simply fell of as he was trying to open it.  I get it - things don't last forever but at the time it was like new.  We now use a small plastic container from Walmart to store sandwiches and wraps.  It is thin enough that it fits on top of his Yumbox in his lunch bag.
4. Thermos https://well.ca/products/crocodile-creek-insulated-food-jar_103502.html - I wasn't sure about buying this product because at the time my son didn't eat a lot of hot lunch foods.  However he has since acquired a taste for a variety of soup, chili and pasta recipes.  We send a warm lunch a couple times a week and most of the time the thermos comes home empty.  It washes well, but again I avoid the dishwasher.  It doesn't fit in his lunch bag with the Yumbox but I put it in his school bag separately and I have never had a problem with it leaking.  This is another product I've been very happy with!
5. Water Bottle https://well.ca/products/crocodile-creek-drinking-bottle_101423.html - I only send water to school in a water bottle.  This one broke 3 months ago.  The piece of plastic attaching the red lid to the top of the bottle is very thin.  After ordering it and seeing it, I knew it was going to be a problem right away...It was just a matter of when it was going to break.  We replaced it with a very inexpensive water bottle from Walmart that seems to be doing the trick!

Other Lunch Supplies:

1. Freezer Pack https://cutekidstuff.com/collections/cold-packs-freezer-packs/products/stephen-joseph-pirate-freezer-friend-cold-pack - We bought this and it works great, but we use it more for bumps and bruises!  Maybe in the spring/summer it will come in handy for keeping snacks and lunches cool.
2. Food Picks and other Goodies https://cutekidstuff.com/collections/bento-food-picks-accessories - I invested in some of these items hoping to use them in his school lunches but I found they didn't always come home and they definitely didn't make lunch any more appealing.  I do use them at home with meals and for entertaining kids.  Both Hudson and Georgia enjoy them - at home I can at least monitor their use and they don't go missing.  One thing I do use all the time when preparing lunches is my cookie cutters!  I do a lot of baking and so I have several cutters (big ones and little ones).  My kids love it when I cut out sandwiches, fruit, veggies and cheese!  I purchased several of my cookie cutters from various dollar stores as well as the silicone cups (which I use for keeping food separate).  Sometimes you don't have to spend a lot of money to have fun and get creative!

It doesn't matter how prepared you are, making lunch is sometimes the last thing you want to do at the end of a busy day.  My husband often makes lunch for our kids too.  Here are some things we do to make the whole process much easier!

1. I always make sure all the fruits and vegetables are washed ahead of time.  As soon as we bring the groceries home, I take the time to wash everything so it's ready to go.
2. Inviting your kids to be a part of the process.  Whenever possible we ask the kids to help with meal prep.  I find that when they're involved in making their lunch (and other meals), they're much more likely to actually eat it!
3. I often cook enough dinner so that there are leftovers for lunch - this is especially helpful when they actually enjoy dinner!  At least we know it will get eaten the next day too.
4. Eating the Rainbow - We always try to fill their lunches with a variety of colour (sometimes I even make it look like a rainbow!).
5. We never stress about what doesn't get eaten at school!  We give our kids healthy meals and snacks throughout the day, so we know they are getting plenty of good nutritious food!

Now for some examples of lunches prepared last month...my daughter goes to daycare a few days each month so I sometimes pack her lunch too.  The photos without the Yumbox are lunches I prepared at home for either my son or daughter.

"Eating the rainbow" I put chili in his thermos.  Here is the recipe: http://ohsheglows.com/2014/02/05/my-favourite-vegan-chili-with-homemade-sour-cream/

Fruit, veggies, grilled chicken and dark chocolate chips for dessert (my go to for a yummy treat)

Valentine's Day lunch, soup in his thermos, pretzels, homemade granola bar for dessert.  Here is the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/81298/playgroup-granola-bars/ - I used whole wheat flour and coconut oil.

Georgia's snack for the long drive to Nanny and Papa's.

Hudson's snack for the car ride.

Fruit, veggies, whole wheat waffles with real maple syrup and chocolate chips.  Here is the recipe: http://natashaskitchen.com/2013/06/11/whole-wheat-and-blueberry-waffles/ - You can also use coconut oil.

Fruit, veggies, edamame, chocolate chips and a wrap on the side (homemade refried beans, salsa, mozzarella cheese and arugula).  Here is the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/220642/quick-and-easy-refried-beans/

Fruit, veggies, chicken fingers (I've never made my own but I would love to!)  We use this brand: http://www.lifechoicesfoods.com/

 

Georgia's "salad" before lunch.  She loves Minnie Mouse!

Homemade waffles (recipe above).  We are trying to teach Hudson how to cut his food using a knife so when it's soft, we don't always cut it for him.

Afternoon snack - my kids love fruit and veggies kabobs!

Fruit, veggies and quinoa bites.  Here is the recipe: http://cupcakesandkalechips.com/cheesy-veggie-quinoa-bites/

Fruit, veggies, and chicken soup. Here is the soup recipe along with 5 other recipes I have tried and love!: http://www.runnersworld.com/quick-bites/six-fast-and-nutritious-chicken-recipes

Fruit, veggies and more soup (I'm always making soup - especially in the winter!).  Here is the recipe: http://ohsheglows.com/2012/11/30/black-bean-sweet-potato-and-red-quinoa-soup/ 

Fruit and whole wheat pancakes.  Here is the recipe: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/11/04/whole-wheat-oatmeal-pancakes/ - so yummy!

Same as above.

Fruit, veggies, and heart shaped fried egg sandwiches.  Hudson enjoys taking these to school too. 

 



Homemade granola bars (see recipe above).  They usually last about a week in our home.

Hopefully I've managed to provide a little inspiration when it comes to preparing lunches for both at home and school.  At the end of the day the most important thing is knowing your child is eating a well balanced diet and as parents we all strive to accomplish this - but the reality is kids acquire their own tastes and trying to satisfy those taste buds can sometimes be a challenge.  Just remember to involve them in the process and be their role-model...and bribery works too - ha!  I think we can all say we've been guilty of that!  It's definitely a last resort but  a few chocolate chips work best in our home.

Happy meal prepping!