Then, lay everything out into groups (here's the PB&J section for example):
The # 1 comment I get from people - "I need your recipes!" I hate to disappoint you, but I don't really have recipes. I'm literally just taking normal lunch foods and wrapping them in plastic. But, perhaps you're just looking for a list of "ideas" so you're not simply wrapping 100 PB&Js on white bread. Here are my go-to lunches:
PB&J on Hawaiian rolls, tortillas, bread, and Flatwiches (yep, all still PB&J, but by putting them ON different breads, it makes the kids think they're getting something different every day...) I am queen of food trickery. :)
Ham cubes & cheese cubes (you can get fancy when you thaw them and put them on little toothpicks for a "kabob" effect, but my kiddos like them straight out of a Ziplock baggie with a side of crackers - kind of like a homemade (way cheaper/healthier!) Lunchable.
Meat Roll-ups - take string cheese and split it in half (long ways) for turkey/ham, or quarter it for salami. Simply roll the cheese up inside the deli meat like you'd roll up a body up in a carpet (sorry, maybe not the best analogy?) Set in the Ziplock bag seam-side down. I typically do 2 turkey/ham rolls in a bag, or 4 salami rolls for each bag. Squeeze all the air out before you seal them.
Deli subs/wraps - so many option here. Wrap up meat/cheese in a tortilla, fold it up on Hawaiian rolls (or slider buns, dinner rolls, whatever) or layer on Flatwich breads... See, more trickery - you're using the same package of turkey/cheese for these, but by changing the "look" based on what you layer the meat on, it's like a whole new lunch. :)
For the actual party, I provide wine and cookie dough (because it's never a proper Girls Night without cookie dough, in my opinion) - and I also made a bunch of pre-cut lunch box notes for the ladies to take home, along with some tip/idea sheets in case they forgot everything I told them, lol.
freezer_foods_for_school.pdf |
how_to_pack_a_lunch.pdf |
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Every night have your kids pull out (from the freezer) what they want for breakfast and lunch (yep, I make freezer breakfasts too, but that will be a separate post - pancakes, French toast, egg burritos, etc) - set them in the fridge to thaw.
The next morning before school, they gather their lunch items - the "main course" and a drink - and they have 3 "bins" to collect other items from. One bin is in the fridge - full of fruit, yogurt, string cheese, etc. The other 2 bins are in the pantry - one is labeled "snacks" (goldfish, raisins, etc) and the other is labeled "treats" - jello, fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, pudding, etc). They pull an item out of each bin and put them in the lunch box and BOOM - healthy lunch, all packed by a child.
It's really that easy. The kids get excited because they're in "control" of their own lunch and can customize it how they want, but it's all been made/sorted/approved by you so you know what they're eating.
Seriously, make your daily lunch packing routine a thing of the past. Make everything ahead of time and freeze in bulk and you only have to make lunches a few times a year! You save a lot of money, frustration, and most importantly TIME (to do other, better things!) and your kids will love the ownership and responsibility of packing their own lunchbox. :)
I'll just go ahead and say it now - - you're welcome. :)