1. As much as possible, prep on the weekends. Sandwiches are usually best made the day of, but many other things can be prepared and refrigerated ahead of time, including: chopped veggies, chopped fruit, things like cracker and cheese that need portioning out and bagging.
2. Make a salad more fun by putting it on a kebab! Cherry tomatoes, olives, pieces of cheese, pieces of deli meat, and baby spinach or lettuce are perfect.
3. Portion things out yourself. It's almost always less expensive to buy in bulk and package in inexpensive bags, rather than buying boxes full of portion-sized bags.
4. Add a little air. Bagging up something that might turn into crumbs, like chips, cookies, or pretzels? Take a tip from food packagers and add air to the bag. This works best if you're packing lunch the evening before school or the morning the child will be eating the lunch.
5. Give them last night's leftovers. Not only will it save you time, but it will help prevent waste.
6. Bake lunch items like muffins ahead of time and freeze them. Pop them into your child's lunch the evening or morning before they will be eaten and they'll be thawed by lunch time.
7. No-brown sliced apples are easier than you think. Simply slice up the apple, holding the pieces carefully together, then wrap a rubber band around the apple. (The slices don't brown because they aren't exposed to air.)
8. Consider letting the kids pack their lunch. Let the children pick which items go in their lunch box the night before. (Don't think they'll make healthy choices? Let them only choose from certain foods.) You'll probably have to supervise to make sure it gets done! Kids are more likely to eat their food if they have a hand in preparing/choosing it - and it this encourages independence, too. For more tips on making this work, visit Coffee Cups and Crayons.
9. Notes or jokes are an addition to the lunch box most kids will look forward to. Bible verses are excellent, too!
What a neat apple trick! Gonna try that for packing the kids a lunch to eat at the gym daycare while I exercise! My kids love packing their lunches. I tell them to pick between 2 types of sandwiches, an apple sauce pack or yogurt tube, their choice of chips, and sometimes one piece of Dove each. I saw a tip today on TV while at the gym. If you are out of ice packs, soak a sponge and let the excess water drain but don't wring it out. Then put it in a ziplock bag and freeze it. Today must be lunch tip day. ha!
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