It's almost back to school time around here and I am already thinking ahead and admittedly kind of stressing out at the thought of having to make a school lunch five days a week for the first time ever. That's a pretty big deal when you factor in having to wake two children, get them dressed, fed, and out the door and to the school by 8:45 am. If you're a parent, I am sure you can relate. Needless to say, I need a strategy if I'm going to survive that routine and keep my sanity in check. Keep in mind this is a preliminary outline that has yet only been tested on a part-time basis when my son was in kindergarten and needed lunch once a week, but I am sharing it with you anyway and will keep you updated regularly.
THE KEEPING IT REAL (and sane) SCHOOL LUNCH PLAN
1. MAKE TWICE THE AMOUNT OF DINNER EVERY NIGHT
Leftovers are going to be my ultimate time saving option for the lunch box. I just have to stock up on twice the amount of ingredients to make what I will already be making for dinner. I will also be keeping school lunches in mind and try to make items that pack well and that the children really enjoy eating - like burritos, pasta, meatballs, fish sticks, chicken fingers, chicken wings, chili & cornbread
2. SNACK ATTACK AND FREEZE
Make double of whatever baked goods or treats I happen to produce and freeze specifically for school lunches - like muffins, cookies, fruit roll ups, seed bars.
3. HAVE A LIST OF LUNCH IDEAS ON THE FRIDGE
For those inevitable days when there are no dinner leftovers. Here's my list of lunch ideas I can whip up the night before, or God-forbid, in the morning:
SANDWICHES or WRAPS- Sunflower and Apple butter (nut free of course or this would be almond butter)
- Avocado, Cheese and Sauerkraut
- Cream Cheese and Grated Carrot
- Chicken/Salmon/Tuna/Egg Salad- add ins can include dried cranberries, grated apple/carrot, celery, chopped lacto-fermented vegetables, chopped olives or capers
- Hummus and Vegetable
- Falafels with Grated Vegetables, Tahini Sauce and Sauerkraut
- Bagel and Cream Cheese with Grated Vegetables and Herbs
- Meat or Vegetable Quesadilla with Salsa or Guacamole
- Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese
- Cinnamon Raisin Bread and Cream Cheese
- Roast Beef, Mayo and Sauerkraut
SOUP and SOURDOUGH BISCUITS OR CRACKERS- from the freezer. I will be making triple batches of soup and sourdough crackers/biscuits this winter and freezing for quick dinners and last minute lunches.
DIPS- freeze batches of hummus and refried beans in small mason jars for lunches.
- Tortilla Chips, Black Bean Dip, Red Pepper, Olives & Cheese Slices
- Hummus, Veggie Sticks, Rice Crackers and Cheese
- Guacamole, Salsa, Sourdough Pita or Tortillas, Veggie Sticks, Cheese, Olives
- Salmon Dip, Veggie Sticks, Pickles, Crackers or Pita
SALADS
- Pasta Salad- Feta, Olives, Steamed Broccoli, Peppers, Cucumber
- Taco Salad- Ground Beef, Shredded Cheese, Olive, Avocado, Tomatoes, Sour Cream, Shredded Lettuce, Salsa
MISC
- Hard Boiled Eggs, Cheese, Steamed Broccoli
- Leftover Roast Dinner Meat, Red Peppers, Pickles
- Leftover Rice Stir Fried with Vegetables and Egg
- Natural Hot Dogs or Sausage, Mustard or Ketchup for Dipping, Cucumber Slices/Carrot Sticks & Cheese
- Pizza Pockets - homemade from freezer
- Tomato Melts on Sourdough- also Tuna/Salmon/Sardine Melts
- Leftover Frittata or Quiche
- Bacon
- Prosciutto wrapped Cheese
SNACKS
- Applesauce
- Popcorn with Dulse Flakes
- Ants on a Log (celery, seed butter, raisins)
- Nut Free Trail Mix
- Zucchini/Carrot/Squash Muffins
- Leftover Pancakes or Waffles
- Dried Fruit (figs, apricots, raisins)
- Apples, Pears, Bananas, Clementines, Pomegranate, Pineapple Chunks, Berries, Grapes or Fruit Salad
- Rice Pudding
- Yogurt with Blueberries and Honey
- Homemade Cookies/Bars/Muffins
- Dulse seaweed
- Fruit-Juice Sweetened Fig Bars
- Smoothies
- Granola or Cereal and Milk
- Veggie Sticks and Cherry Tomatoes
DRINKS
- Hot Tea thermos - including Chai and maybe on a snowy day Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate?
- Hot or Cold Apple Cider
- Water
4. ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT:
- Stainless Steel Food Containers
- Thermos
- Mini Ice Paks
- Stainless Steel Water Bottles
- Paper Bags
- Mini Glass Mason Jars
- Insulated Lunch Bags- big enough to hold all containers
That's all I've got for now. Time to get cooking and freezing!
What do you send in your kid's lunches?
Tahini and honey sandwiches sometimes for a treat.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great idea!
DeleteMy kids are happiest with pretty well the same thing every single day - sourdough bread or crepe with seed pate savory or seed butter and jam sweet. Naan with oily pesto - hemp and flax oil mixed with olive oil, basil, sunflower seeds and garlic, and extra greens then lots of grated raw cheese on top broiled. Boiled eggs, veggie sticks - as many different raw veggies as I can pack - these always get eaten, coconut or organic yogurt (my daughter is dairy sensitive so it is a fall back when we run out of the coconut) and a couple of apples. I make popcorn in aftercare and we have it with sea salt, nutritional yeast, or dulse flakes. In winter they want soup and a more stodgy bread with lots of butter, everyone likes toasted seaweed snacks, but it varies very little. They seem to like the predictable lunch.
ReplyDeleteKerry you are making me hungry!
DeleteSo many great ideas. Thanks Anastasia. I love seeing what other folks send for their kids. We all run out of ideas, don't we?
ReplyDeleteMy daughter would eat cheese and avocado sandwiches every day if I would let her. My son doesn't like sandwiches, which (let's face it) are sometimes just the easiest/quickest/only thing to make. But I have discovered he will eat a cold grilled cheese sandwich very happily. I make it in the morning and let it cool (so it doesn't "sweat" in his lunch container) and he loves them.
I often give them natural yoghurt, sweetened with a little maple syrup and vanilla extract in a stainless steel tub topped with frozen mango, cherries or blueberries. They love it.
Sugar snap peas, grape or cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks are their favourite veggie snack.
I also make "power balls" with sunflower seed butter (almond if they weren't for school), rolled together with ground flaxseed, coconut, honey, dried fruit, etc. If I make these, I always have to send extra because they want to share them with their friends.