This week I’m sharing all of our favorite tips and tricks to saving money on school lunches. While some maybe things you are already doing, hopefully this is helping you get some ideas too!

Today I want to share some lunchbox hacks that don’t necessarily have to do with saving money but may help you simplify the process of packing lunches over the course of those 180 days (let’s not even think about summer day camp)!

This #3 in a series on school lunches.  Check out the other posts in the series:

Tips to Save Money on School Lunches
Best Lunchbox Products
Our Favorite Lunchbox Hacks
A Week of School Lunch Ideas

Lunchbox Hacks

Have a basic lunch plan

Come up with a framework for school lunch packing. Kind of like the USDA MyPlate, but without measuring things!  Pick one thing from each category if you can.

• Protein: Deli meat, eggs, beans, meatballs, chicken nugget
• Dairy: Cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream-based dips for vegetables or crackers
• Starch/carbs: Bread, chips, crackers, tortillas, muffins, granola bars, pita bread
• Fruit: Bananas, oranges, apples, grapes, berries, etc.
• Vegetables: Cucumber slices, bell pepper slices, baby carrots, frozen peas, raw broccoli or cauliflower, celery

In an ideal world, you’d probably love to have all five categories covered every day. Try not to pick more than one thing from each category (except extra fruits and veggies are fine!) and try to pick at least 3 categories so that there’s some variety. For example, on a morning when groceries are low and you’re feeling rushed, you might pack deli meat and cheese, a bag of chips, and a clementine. (Obviously, the bigger your kids’ appetites, the more you might need to pack!)

Pack food your kids will eat

Don’t worry about the meal being 100% balanced. Include new foods at breakfast or dinner when you can encourage adventurous eating. For school lunches, pack food you know your kids will eat.  They won’t have anyone there encouraging they finish and if they don’t like it they won’t eat it.  Read More→