But I don't wanna pack lunches!

[luckyme]

My kids go back to school in a week and I'm dreading packing lunches again!!

I'm usually fairly simple - fruit, veggie, and a main.

So stuff like:

Chicken and rice (in thermos)
Strawberries + greek yogurt
Veggie sticks + ranch dip

Meatballs and mashed potatoes (in thermos)
Melon + cheese cubes
Celery stuffed with cream cheese

What are your best lunch tips? I need all the help I can get! Any fave sites you go to for inspiration and recipes?

[YepBrook]

Ugh. I am with you about packing lunches. It helps that I homeschool, but STILL we have a couple days a week with co-ops that I have to pack for. I'm like you, fruit veggie and a main thing (preferably a good source of protein).

Thankfully, my kids like sandwiches so I pack those as the 'main thing' a lot... with fruit, chips or pretzels, and a veggie on the side. Sometimes I'll put in a pudding, jello, or yogurt if they seem to need more food. We do all sorts of sandwiches and I like to mix it up so they don't get bored... different bread and cheese, new toppings and mustards, etc. And a pickle on the side. We do tuna, honey & peanut butter, PB&J with banana slices, egg salad, ham & cheese, turkey with avocado & bacon, etc. I like to lightly toast the bread for sandwiches I pack because it keeps them from getting a damp feeling or soggy.

Often I just make them a big "snack" and I try to do a bunch of little things like a veggie (my kids actually love sliced peppers, without any dip), a carb (crackers, pretzels, a roll), a dairy (cheese or yogurt, usually), and a protein (rolled cold cuts, grilled chicken, a hard boiled egg, etc).

My kids also love cold leftover pizza for packed lunches. Super weird. LOL

[nietis]

I am a lucky one. My son's school serves breakfast, lunch and early dinner for him, so most of the time, I just have to worry about dinner, which he usually comes and eats again when he sees me eating

[britaneejean]

my girls new favorite lunch is homemade pizza lunchables! We get the street taco size tortillas, pizza sauce, mozz cheese, and toppings. Then I'll add other things as sides. I try to do the fruit/veggie/main as well but it doesn't happen every time. They love string cheese, carrots w/dip, boom chicka pop, applesauce, yogurt, lunchmeat, etc.

I also have them do most of it. Is that mean? They pack their lunches unless we're running behind or it's the pizza ones (more prep than normal).

[britaneejean]

Originally Posted by nietis

I am a lucky one. My son's school serves breakfast, lunch and early dinner for him, so most of the time, I just have to worry about dinner, which he usually comes and eats again when he sees me eating

He's gone that long?! Wow! Our school will also serve breakfast & lunch but it's $2.50/each...that'd be $10/day if I let both girls eat both meals.

[nietis]

Originally Posted by britaneejean

He's gone that long?! Wow! Our school will also serve breakfast & lunch but it's $2.50/each...that'd be $10/day if I let both girls eat both meals.

Well, the school starts at 8am and ends at 5pm here. They even have nap time between 12-1.30pm. And the price of those food are all together around RMB800 (around $150) per month and there is no option for us to bring our own food from home, so, we just have to do it that way.

[LeeAndra]

I pack my daughter a sandwich every day (either ham & cheese or PBJ) + a cheese stick or GoGurt + strawberry applesauce or peaches or raisins.

She only has 20 minutes for lunch & she likes to talk so she can't/won't eat more than that.

[rach3975]

I'm lucky that 2 of mine like to buy lunch at school. The rare days when I have to pack for all 3 (who won't eat the same thing, of course) while getting myself ready for work are not fun.

My "rule" is that I don't repeat a lunch within the week. Jason is so picky about food--if I start giving him the same thing too often and he tells me not to pack it anymore, I'm going to have trouble finding an alternative. He packs his own fruit and "extra" (dry cereal, crackers, granola bar, string cheese, etc.) Since he won't eat sandwiches, I tend to alternate between bean soup, pasta, yogurt, meat and cheese slices with bread and butter, and beans and rice.

Lauren and Ben are a little easier, partly because I don't usually have to pack for them! Lauren eats tuna sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly, yogurt, turkey or cheese rolled in a tortilla with lettuce, and leftover pizza. She's the only one of my kids who likes raw veggies, so she'll often bring those with hummus or Cilantro Avocado dressing. Ben's favorite is "Make Your Own Lunchable." We pack crackers, cheese and meat slices, and a fruit. He also likes sandwiches.

[renatasluis]

In the netherlands they take bread to school.

[hollyxann]

Kennedy is a pain when it comes to packing her lunch. It's always the same thing despite me offering a thousand options. Normally it's a sandwich, chips, yogurt and fruit snacks with a small water.

[mariewilcox]

I'm no help - lol - Cheyanne is starting her senior year and has been packing her own lunches since about 2nd grade

[abm234]

Originally Posted by hollyxann

Kennedy is a pain when it comes to packing her lunch. It's always the same thing despite me offering a thousand options. Normally it's a sandwich, chips, yogurt and fruit snacks with a small water.

Kennedy is old enough to need lunch packed?? I haven't been hanging out here as often as I should apparently. Time flies!