In a lunch-packing rut? I’ve got you, Mama! I’ve got some tips, some great lunches to try, my go-to sites for inspiration, my favorite tools, AND a couple of fun ideas to leave a little love for your kiddos to find!
Tools of the Trade
Some of my favorite things to make packing lunch easier are nice little containers that are easy to pack and easy to wash, and tools that save time. Here are my trusty little helpers:
Silicone baking cups
I use these for everything BUT baking, truthfully. These are perfect for keeping foods from touching in a container or Bento box or squishing an extra item into an odd spot. We also use them for dinners at home for dipping sauces or to hold fruit.
Small glass jars with twist-on lids
If your child’s school doesn’t allow for glass, these can be substituted with plastic, or a small thermos, if you prefer. We load these with pasta salads, filling for our mini “chicken tacos” (we will get to those in a bit!), or we add some sort of dip or spread to the bottom and stick pretzels or fruit in. Easy to clean, inexpensive, with endless potential. My daughter came home last year telling me people called her $3/3 pack (Target dollar spot!) jars “fancy,” but truly, for us they are just practical!
Cookie cutters
This one may sound like I’m trying to talk you into being extra, but I promise I’m NOT. You’re cutting the crusts off the sandwich anyway, right? This takes up just as little time, if not even less. Any cutters will do, but I have found that the ones with the least detail work best. Small, round cutters are also handy for creating DIY lunchables.
A good peeler
Some kids do peels, some don’t. At my house, we compromise by peeling every other half-inch or so on certain fruits and veggies, which also makes them look pretty neat diced up. If you’re not on Team Peel, get yourself a good quality, easy to use peeler if you don’t already have one. It’s a major timesaver.
Bento boxes
I love, love, love our Bento boxes. So convenient, such an easy way to portion the food, and a total breeze to clean. My personal favorite is Bentology thanks to the ability to customize the compartments and the ease in cleaning.
Reusable sandwich and snack bags
I adore Grove Collaborative’s reusable lunch and snack bags for their durability.
Lunch Ideas
We modify these to cater to our kids’ preferences, but the beauty of most of these suggestions is that they’re easy to change up and make all yours. Most of these ideas are “main course” suggestions, and in our house, we then add all kinds of combinations of fruits, veggies, crackers, popcorn, olives, pickles, almonds, and yogurts to fill in the gaps.
Chicken Taco Bento
A major favorite in our house. How genius is using those scoops for taco cups?!
Homemade Lunchables
Lisa from 100 Days of Real Food breaks down several Lunchable favorites into DIYs.
Banana Nutella Sushi
Throw some crunchy veggies in as your sides for a fun lunch (note: if your child’s school has a nut allergy rule, there are nut-free chocolate spread options)!
Hummus Tray
DIY Starbucks Protein Bistro Box
Pretzel Sandwich Kebabs
Tip: make these with thick, hearty bread for best results, and while the shapes are cute, we usually just keep it square over here. The thin pretzels sticks are also perfect for fruit kebabs!
Apple Cheese Wraps
Make-Ahead Salads
Pizza Pasta Salad
Two notes, and they’re just personal preference: we like to sub turkey pepperoni in for regular, and we prefer shredded Parmesan to grated.
Cucumber Stackers
Southwestern Tortilla Roll-Ups
Cold Sesame Noodles (vegan)
If you find yourself without a spiralizer, as we currently do, add your veggies by shaving them very thinly.
Inspiration Sites
I know I’ve listed a few ideas above, but some sites keep pumping out fresh ideas regularly, and bless them. Here are some of the places I find myself returning to when in need of something new:
100 Days of Real Food
Weelicious
Food for My Family
One Hungry Mama
Fantastical Sharing of Recipes (which just happens to be the blog of our very own, very fantastical Sarah Ellis!)
Pack Some Love
Did you know you can write secret messages on bananas?! Just take a toothpick and etch a little something in, and by lunch it’s easy to read and a sweet surprise for your kid. On days when there’s no banana to etch, I like to pack a cheesy joke that I know will have my kids shaking their heads (I find the best/worst ones here). Sometimes it’s on a post-it; sometimes it’s on their napkin. Occasionally, I’ll even bust out my elementary school origami skills and drop a note in that way. However I go about it, letting my kids know they’re on my mind even when we’re apart makes us both feel better on these long school days.
