There are a few steps that I follow every month to make sure that lunches are organized and easy.
1. Check out the menu at the beginning of each month.
The kids select the days when they would prefer to bring lunch.
2. Note the selected days on my monthly calendar.
TIP: Use a code. For my kids, the code is their first initials, in a circle.
3. Create a limited, repetitive menu for packed lunches and add those items to the grocery list.
My little one doesn't love sandwiches, so we usually do spaghetti or a hot dog with chili, a fruit (they get to choose, but I keep canned fruit cocktail in fruit juice in case), and a yogurt. My older kid likes sandwiches, so for him, it's ham and turkey on wheat, a slice of cheese, a fruit, and some carrots.
1. Check out the menu at the beginning of each month.
The kids select the days when they would prefer to bring lunch.
2. Note the selected days on my monthly calendar.
TIP: Use a code. For my kids, the code is their first initials, in a circle.
3. Create a limited, repetitive menu for packed lunches and add those items to the grocery list.
My little one doesn't love sandwiches, so we usually do spaghetti or a hot dog with chili, a fruit (they get to choose, but I keep canned fruit cocktail in fruit juice in case), and a yogurt. My older kid likes sandwiches, so for him, it's ham and turkey on wheat, a slice of cheese, a fruit, and some carrots.
We really don't vary from this at all. After all, they could always have school lunch instead.
TIP: If you do lunches daily, have an every other day main entree', a fruit, a veggie, and a snack.
EXAMPLE:
Mon - spaghetti, fruit cocktail, cheese stick
Tues - turkey sandwich, apple, yogurt
Wed - spaghetti, banana, cheese stick
Thur - turkey sandwich, fruit cocktail, yogurt
Fri - leftover stew (because you might as well use your leftovers), grapes, cheese stick
EXAMPLE:
Mon - spaghetti, fruit cocktail, cheese stick
Tues - turkey sandwich, apple, yogurt
Wed - spaghetti, banana, cheese stick
Thur - turkey sandwich, fruit cocktail, yogurt
Fri - leftover stew (because you might as well use your leftovers), grapes, cheese stick
4. Make them responsible for bringing lunch.
We make lunches the night before and they have to put out a sticky note on their backpacks, reminding them to bring lunch.
TIP: To save money and the environment, use reusable bags and containers.
5. Make them clean up.
When the kids arrive home, they empty trash into the garbage and put the containers in the sink. They also wipe down the lunch box and store it.
That's it. Making a lunches is easy and quick - and not a lot of work for mom.
We make lunches the night before and they have to put out a sticky note on their backpacks, reminding them to bring lunch.
TIP: To save money and the environment, use reusable bags and containers.
5. Make them clean up.
When the kids arrive home, they empty trash into the garbage and put the containers in the sink. They also wipe down the lunch box and store it.
That's it. Making a lunches is easy and quick - and not a lot of work for mom.
3 comments:
Are the able to heat lunches up at school or do they eat the spaghetti and stew cold?
The older kid has access to a microwave. For the little one, I heat the thermos in hot water, heat the spaghetti in the microwave, dump the hot water out of the thermos, and put the spaghetti in there.
It's still warm when he gets home from school.
Brilliant!!! Thanks for the replay above too.
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