One of the things moms dread is the whole lunch situation - that daily task of putting together a meal that has to fit and preserve in a small insulated lunch box. Maybe your kid wants PB&J every single day, or maybe they get tired of eating the same old thing day in and day out - THIS is your solution. Freezer lunches! You can make months worth of lunches all in an hour or two, wrap them up, then let the kids pack their own lunch. This is like a super triple win - you save money, LOADS of time, and your kids are getting awesome healthy food every day! We make deli wraps, sandwiches, flatwiches, meat and cheese rollups, ham and cheese kabobs, subs, etc. Lots of variety, even though you're just using a handful of ingredients!
First, just plan out your supplies. The main staples are PB&J and assorted lunch meats and cheeses. All of these things freeze exceptionally well. Then pick your "bases" - this can be Hawaiian rolls, dinner rolls, bread, flatwiches, tortillas - all of these things freeze well! You'll also need your storage - plastic wrap and assorted ziplock bags! Lay it all out, and get started!
freezer_foods_for_school.pdf |
how_to_pack_a_lunch.pdf |
A couple of helpful tips - wrap everything TIGHT. It will preserve well if it's either wrapped in plastic wrap (put a small sticker on the closure area if you have little ones - that will help them untangle the plastic wrap! :) or you can put them in Ziplock bags and squeeze out as much air as you can.
Also, label everything! If you have one kid who loves salami and one who hates it, you won't want to get those mixed up - once they're frozen, everything kind of looks the same.
Condiments - my kiddos seem to prefer all these lunches without any mayo or anything on the deli lunches, but if your kids wants some mayo, mustard, ranch, etc - make sure you put the condiments on the meat and cheese, not directly on the bread (that will make it soggy when it thaws - it's not unbearable to me, but your kid may not be a fan). Otherwise these hold up great! And get creative - PB&J may 'sound' strange on a tortilla, but it's actually amazing and most kids love them! Just another way to mix up the lunches with ingredients they love.
One more thing we make - "poweritos" for the mamas. I swear by these. We mix up cooked diced chicken, black beans, refried beans, and a little cheese on whole wheat tortillas - wrap them up and freeze! When you thaw them out, they just need 20 seconds in the microwave and you have a protein-packed fiber-rich healthy lunch for yourself that will fill you up until the bus comes home! (And they taste super good!)
Coming up on the blog - more back to school fun! Freezer breakfasts, "snack shack" ideas, homework stations, printable lunchbox notes, and MORE!! Check back often! :)