The week before school starts, here are the things that I’ll be stocking up on as a last line of defense against that sinking “I’ve-got-nothing-to-go-along-with-this-sandwich” feeling.
Dried Fruits
Sweeten things up naturally with dried fruits such as (clockwise from top) unsulfured apricots, cherries, dates, and golden raisins. The larger fruits can be chopped up and mixed with nut butter or cream cheese to make a quick pinwheel sandwich. Or you can throw together a quick trail mix with some cereal and some candy coated sunflower seeds for color and a hint of chocolate.
String Cheese
This fun little snack packs an awesome protein to calorie ratio.
Unsweetened applesauce
I usually top a small container of applesauce with rainbow sprinkles just to give my kid’s lunch a fighting chance against all the slick, highly processed foods that some of her classmates are nibbling on.
Pickles
We are fans of dill pickles and even bigger fans of Trader Joe’s little cornichons.
Plain Yogurt
There are a bazillion quick ways to turn a cup of plain yogurt into a healthy snack (see Yogurt 101).
Cottage Cheese
Jazz it up with fresh fruit or some fresh herbs.
Ranch Dressing
An instant companion for lonely carrot sticks.
Trader Joe’s Marinated Bean Salad
This is probably a reach for most kids, but my oldest loves these. I’ll probably save them for the second month of school because last year she got all kinds of comments from her classmates about the salads and other non-typical fare they spied in her lunchbox.
And here’s some hardware that make my girl’s lunchbox more convenient and fun.
Snack container with dip well
I picked this up at Target last week for $1.00. We already had one, but it was such a hit that I decided I needed one in reserve.
Lollipop sticks or bamboo skewers with the tip cut off
There are lots of healthy foods that are instantly made exciting once they are on a stick. It seems ridiculous, but if your kids are anything like mine, they will flip for this simple tweak in presentation. Think sandwich-on-a-stick, rainbow-on-a-stick, pizza-on-a stick…and so on.
Bento cutters
Cut up some melon, carrots, or a myriad of other fresh foods with these and they are instantly delectable.
I hope I’ve been able to provide you with a few good ideas/reminders and your lunch packing is stress-free this year. Feel free to chime in with a comment about any secret weapons you have planned for your kids’ lunchbox(es).
Good luck!
Cindy
I loved your guest post on I'm an Organizing Junkie, and loved this last post on ideas for lunches. I too am obsessed with bento style lunches, my daughter is only 2 so I only get to pack a lunch on Friday's for daycare but in the meantime in between time I am a teacher and my husband is a small business owner in the very posh part of town so packing lunches for ourselves as well is a must! Great ideas, I am not a new follower, and I can't wait to see your other posts!
Nichole @
carterfamilytable.blogspot.com
(home cook, who thinks it is vital to eat at the table with the family for dinner)
I especially like the "on-a-stick" notion! And the fruit cutters are cute too. I don't have kids, but hey – I need to spice up my lunches every once in a while too! Awesome blog! Glad I found you.
@Nichohle…thanks for your comments! I'm a newbie to bento-style lunches also but I must say I'm definitely obsessed. Be on the lookout for another guest post on just that topic with tips for getting started! And a related giveway too!
@Alison…glad to hear from you too! I am glad to know that you found some great tips even without having kids…I always wonder about that!
Welcome to you both!
this is my first visit to your blog and am hooked.liked the bento style lunch box packing.where can i find such lunch boxes and bento cutters.i live in virginia,usa