It’s that time of year again parents, our kids are going back to school. It’s always a mix of emotions-from excitement that our kids are out of the house, to sadness that our kids are out of the house. One of the major reality checks is the back to school lunches. We either have to deal with picky eaters or school rules about what we can put in the lunches. However, don’t panic, that’s why I am here today. We all have a great imagination, and with the help of a few useful tools and creativity, you will be packing yummy lunches that you kids are going to love.

As a mother of two grown-up boys, my memories from packing lunches is that too much goes to waste. My first tip is to pack a few items only. As kids don’t have too much time to eat. However, as they get older, they will require more protein, carbs, or a mix of both. 

Secondly, remember to mix up the lunches. Making the same thing can be tedious. Create a calendar for the month. Your kids won’t get tired eating the same food, and they will look forward to lunch.

Thirdly, be creative. There’s a lot of containers on the market that can help with packing lunches easier and will allow you to be more creative. My secret tip is my kids used to take their thermos to school. It made it so much easier to pack warm food. Before putting the food in pour boiling water inside the thermal and let it sit there for five minutes, then pour it out. This will create heat, and the food will stay nice and warm. A stainless steel thermos works the best.

Get the Tupperware’s that has dividers and you can create and put several things for them; crackers, cut fruit, lunch meat, and chips. Second secret tip, you can freeze grapes and use them as little ice packs, as you would use small water bottles for. 

Here is an idea of a weekly menu, and you can switch it every week. Have fun, and enjoy packing lunches for your beautiful kids.

Remember, lunch is a group effort. Talk to your kids about ideas, go shopping with them, find recipes online together, let them help you pack their lunch box. It will teach them the value of food and create memories.