Something big is happening in Barrington this coming Tuesday, August 21st. And if you can say what it is in the blink of an eye, this post is for you. It’s the first day of school. Your days will no longer be punctuated by “when can we go to the pool?” “can you drive me ____?” and the constant need to provide kid fun. But it may be replaced by something else you find challenging: what to pack in your kids’ school lunches.
My 4th grade son Brian refuses to buy his lunch. He also won’t eat sandwiches. Well, not the normal pb&j or just lunchmeat ones anyway. So, after 4 years of packing him lunch, I have a five quick strategies that will help you pack healthy, unprocessed lunch foods your kids will eat…
1. Think Thermos
While Brian will not eat the school lunches, he is a huge fan of leftovers. Purposely making extra food is a strategy that comes in handy when it’s a dinner that holds up well as leftovers.
Brian will take soup, stews, chicken pot pie, enchiladas, hot pasta, and many other dishes we’ve had for dinner the night before in his Thermos. I have only used the Thermos brand, and Brian claims everything is piping hot at lunchtime. If you have a son around Brian’s age, and are challenged with providing a main course, I highly recommend giving this a try. I hear from many moms that their children envy Brian’s lunch when he has things like bbq ribs in his thermos. The thermos can also be used for fresh fruit. Oranges and apples get tiresome as the only fruits that hold up well in a lunchbox, but the thermos can keep fruits such as kiwi or melons safe from being squished or getting too warm.
2. It’s Better with Bacon
Everything is better with bacon, according my son, anyway.
It’s so important to me that the kids fill up on protein before they indulge in carbs or empty calories, and if I add just one slice of bacon (just 3 grams of fat) to any sandwich and load it up with other lean meats and vegetables, I know he’ll eat the whole thing and what’s included.
Bacon may not be your child’s choice, but finding what is…. a favorite cheese on a sandwich, ranch dressing for a dip, a pasta salad base or something like cottage cheese that they love and will eat with the addition of a myriad of vegetables can be your Smart ingredient key to successful healthy lunches.
3. Zip it Up
Ziploc bags, in my opinion, truly are a mom’s best friend.
I use the large ones for toys, packing extra sets of clothes, keeping umpteen things organized, and in the kitchen, use every different size of smaller ones for organizing, freezing, and or making the most out of the food I prep in the kitchen. When it comes to planning school lunches, a little Ziploc prep work makes things much easier in our house. Whether you have a dwindling bag of chips, buy a bulk gallon of goldfish or are cutting up some vegetables, getting portions into sandwich or snack size Ziploc bags in preparation for lunchmaking can get you ahead of the game. (I’m sure the reusable baggies are great too, I just haven’t tried them yet.)
4. The Freezer is Your Friend
The freezer is key to a busy person’s success in the kitchen.
I don’t like to buy processed, packaged cookies for my kids, but don’t have time to make homemade with fresh ingredients each week.
So when I do have time to make a batch, I always triple the task, and freeze them in Ziplocs in sets of two so they’re easy to grab and pop into a lunchbox.
Check out my website at OrganizingDinner.com for some easy and packable cookie & dessert recipes that the kids will love, including PayDay Bars, Cake Balls, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies and my new favorite, Lemon Coconut.
5. Be Prepared
In all of my cooking classes I teach that cooking is a sport, and you need a game plan.
Thinking ahead may sound like it’s harder, but it makes the game easier to win in the long run. Buy things in bulk (like Ziplocs and juice boxes) that you know you will use week after week after week for school lunches saves you from last-minute trips to the store, and scrambling at lunch-packing time.
Enjoy your back-to-school week. I hope it brings much-needed free time for many of you! And please share with us your own lunch-packing tips.
Also, look forward to shopping for next week’s school lunches at Heinen’s grocery store, opening the day after school starts. Look for more on what will be offered in next week’s post.
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About the Author
Kelly Donlea is a Barrington mom, chef, cookbook author the owner of Organizing Dinner, a company that brings sensible cooking solutions to busy people. She has published several cookbooks and one of her specialties is helping parents plan family meals with fewer trips to the grocery store. Kelly also offers cooking classes and demonstrations in your home or public facility. To learn more about Kelly, her recipes and her services, you’ll find her Facebook page by clicking HERE and her website at OrganizingDinner.com. Kelly is going to be sharing recipes, cooking tips and special features about chefs and popular menu items at area restaurants right here at 365Barrington.com.
Please join us as we discover local culinary treasures and new kitchen classics in our regular Friday food feature here at 365Barrington.com called “Barrington Eats” with Kelly Donlea!
If you’d like to us to feature you favorite chef or restaurant or if you have a food related question that you’d like Kelly to answer, make a quick stop at the 365 Barrington Suggestion Box and leave us a note in the form which you’ll find by clicking HERE.
