Parent friendly ideas to organise the kids’ lunch boxes this coming school year
Keep a lunch box planner
Maintaining a lunch box planner is a great way to stay organised and be stress free when setting out the school lunches for the week ahead.
Yes, it means taking some precious time out of your weekend or weeknight, but this will save the packing headaches in the morning. Split a chart into three categories:
- Recess
- Lunch
- After school
For each category use the five days of the school week to fill in your choices of meals. Simply print out a planner chart and stick on the fridge to keep you on track each week. A good idea is to use a whiteboard marker for ease of erasing and rewriting.
A little extra time spent every week on a planner will mean no rushing around last minute in the morning.
Prepare lunches in batches to save time and stress
Similar to the previous point, preparing snack boxes and lunch boxes in batches will also save a heap of time and pressure that would otherwise be experienced in the mornings.
This has saved many parents who can pack a nutritious lunch for their kids whom would otherwise head to the school canteen or tuck shop.
Try cutting up a whole bunch of fresh fruit and vegetables, add some crackers or wholesome biscuits, and include an after-school snack too. From here separate dry from cold items into the cupboard or fridge ready for the coming school week.
This can work for snacks, lunches, and drink packs. All you have to do is tell your kids to zip past the fridge or pantry and grab whatever they need for the day.
All in all this is a great back to school idea and saves time, money and stress!
Essentials for lunch accessories (snack boxes and lunch boxes)
Today many lunch and snack boxes come in a range of different shapes, sizes, and materials. Even drink bottles are diversifying and changing. So, when it comes to choosing the right accessories for school, make sure you choose wisely.
A very popular choice for most parents is Tupperware to hold their kids’ lunches and snacks in. Tupperware is microwavable, scratch proof, and very durable. It’s perfect for the classroom and school yard.
As for drink bottles (this goes for lunch and snack boxes too) try and avoid purchasing those covered in plastic. BPA-free drink bottles such as clear plastic bottles are a popular choice nowadays and also come with leak-proof lids and spouts. More on lunch and snack boxes later!
Always be allergy aware when preparing and packing food for school
In today’s society, particularly at a younger age, there are many kids with allergies. As a parent, sending your child to school five days a week you want to ensure they’re eating in a safe environment.
Allergy labels are a fantastic way to ensure a safe eating environment at school and are a great way to prevent other kids from sharing their food when they shouldn’t. When purchasing or packing your children’s lunches and drink bottles for school, ensure you label them correctly with allergy labels.
These are widely available from many different distributors and can even come personalized with your child’s name on them. Allergy labels are also a very important part of preparing school lunch boxes and snack packs.
Choosing the right lunch box/accessory
Choosing the right lunch box for school is actually more important than you think. This depends on how much your child likes to eat or will actually eat during the school day. Especially at a young age, you’ll want to portion food and control what your kids eat when they do have their breaks for lunch and recess.
If you aren’t packing just healthy foods, it’s important to buy suitable lunch accessories to encourage healthy eating. Bento boxes are compartmentalized lunch boxes and perfect for this. They section lunch, snacks and after school eats for hungry kids.
You can even purchase snack tubes which come airtight and leak-proof – perfect for holding yoghurts, dips or just about anything. So next time you’re shopping for school supplies, try some of these ideas.
Always keep lunches and snacks fresh and cool for the school day
There’s nothing worse than when lunch time hits, you’re hungry, and what do you do? Open up your lunch box and find a soggy sandwich or hot dry snacks because you forgot to pack a cooler. Don’t let your kids experience the same thing.
This may seem given, but it is a more common mistake for most. The freezer and fridge are your best friends here. Invest in a freezer bag to put your lunch box and snack containers in and keep your kids’ meals freezer and fridge fresh for the next day.
This will prevent all the food you’ve carefully prepared from spoiling in their bags or at worst being thrown out or not eaten. Another great idea is to place your kids’ drink bottles in the freezer the night before so they will be fresh and cold when they pull them out at school. Just always make sure every item you’re placing in the freezer in particular is freezer-safe.
