Some kids want the same thing EVERY SINGLE DAY for their school lunch. Other kids want variety. As a mom, you just want them to eat something healthy that will boost their brain so they can learn as much as they can. But man, making lunches every day can be a chore.
Here are 15 lunchbox hacks that will not only help you provide nourishment for your student, but will also save you time in the mornings. Can I get a hallelujah?
From the silly to the clever, these hacks are sure to become a regular part of your busy routine.
Images via Kelly Ladd
DIY Lunchables
Instead of buying those processed and expensive premade lunches, make some yourself. Dress up each topping by placing it in a cupcake liner. Have extra time in the morning? Use a cookie cutter to create fun shapes.
Lunch-Making Kit
Prep on Sunday by filling a plastic bin with cheese sticks, yogurts, and small bags of veggies. Then during the week, you don’t have to search and stress about making lunches when you’re on the run. Everything you need is in one spot.
No More Brown Apples
No one likes to eat brown apples. If your child doesn’t dig lemon juice flavor, which also prevents the browning, simply wrap a rubber band around a sliced apple. This will delay the browning process.
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Fruit-Infused Water
Is your child not drinking enough water? Add fruit slices to it to give it a hint of flavor as well as color to it, both of which will entice your child to drink it. H2-OH YEAH!!!
No More Crushed Crackers
Prevent crushed crackers in your child’s lunch box with this clever idea. Fill a wide-mouth Mason jar with your favorite tuna or egg salad. Then fill a clean and dry fruit cup container with crackers. When you screw on the lid, add the fruit cup container to the top. You’ll never have crushed crackers again.
Funny Food Faces
Make your child’s day by creating funny faces on her sandwich with googly eye stickers and self-adhesive craft foam as mouths. It’s sure to make her entire class giggle as well.
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Juice Box Ice Packs
Freeze your kids' juice boxes so they can double as ice packs. By the time lunch comes around, the ice will have melted and your child’s drink (and food) will be nice and cold.
Banana Love Notes
Send your student a sweet note in her lunch box. Sure, you can write it on a piece of paper, but it will make your child smile more if it’s surprisingly written on a banana.
Pinwheel Lollipops
Have a kid who isn’t a big eater? Entice him into eating at least some of his lunch by making pinwheel lollipops out of a tortilla wrap, ham, and cheese. What kid can resist a lollipop? (Lollipop sticks are available at craft stores.)
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Dip, Baby, Dip
Kids LOVE to dip. Here’s a way you can entice them to eat their lunch, sans sandwich. Fill an empty and clean fruit cup with hummus or salsa. Place cut up veggies or tortilla chips in a Mason jar. Make sure to leave enough space so you can stick the fruit cup in the jar. Then add the wide mouth lid. It’s a great way to keep any mess contained.
Smoothie-on-the-Go
Give your kiddo an extra brain boost with a freeze-ahead banana-chocolate-milk smoothie. The night before, blend two bananas with a cup of chocolate milk. Pour it in a water bottle and freeze. The next morning, put it in your child’s lunch box. By the afternoon, it will have melted into a tasty chocolate banana smoothie. Note: Send a straw along for added fun.
Cookie Cutter Sandwiches
Tired of opening your child’s lunch box after school to see he has only taken one bite from his sandwich? Entice him to eat it all by using cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of his sandwich. Don’t forget to switch up the shapes. Novelty goes a long way.
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Make-Ahead PB&Js
Did you know that you can freeze PB&Js? Well, you can! Prep a bunch and freeze them. Pull them out when you’re too rushed in the morning or you forgot to go to the store again. They thaw out pretty nicely. Just be sure to spread peanut butter on both sides of the bread and spread the jelly in the center. Otherwise, the jelly touching the bread will turn it soggy.
No Bread?
It happens to the best of us. Instead of stressing about making an early morning run to the grocery store, make fun skewers of meat, cheese, fruit, and veggies instead. This is also great idea for all those gluten-free kids out there.
Salad-to-Go
Surprisingly, there are kids who love salad. So encourage healthy eating by sending one to school in a clever to-go package. Fill a plastic cup with his favorite combination and fasten it with a lid. Add a fork through the top for fun. Note: Send dressing on the side so the salad doesn’t get soggy.
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