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One of the sessions at BlogHer10 focused on making foodies of every member of the family. Led by Stefania Pomponi Butler from CityMama, Sarah Caron from Sarah's Cucina Bella and Danielle Wiley from Foodmomiac, at one point, the conversation turned to lunchbox options. Though Biggie’s Lunch in a Box: Building a Better Bento was mentioned specifically, there are a number of other sources for great school lunches to carry parents and kids through the next school year.
Robin Sue of Big Red Kitchen offers a long list of ideas for types of containers and lunch-packing techniques for parents. She takes packing a better lunch very seriously.
The reason I pack is simple. Our school does not have a cafeteria. We do have a lunch program that delivers lunch but I can do it more cost effectively and healthier. I did pay my 8 year old once to pack lunches and he packed a PBJ, chips, and a cookie everyday for weeks. I fired him.
Cheryl Sternman Rule of 5 Second Rule thinks a parent can never have too many ideas for lunches that eschew processed food, yet can be carried easily to school.
We all need a little help in the creativity department, particularly those of us who eschew pre-packaged lunch conveniences. I won't moralize because it's unbecoming, but I don't buy snack-size packs of chips or Lunchables or plastic water bottles. My boys get what I make at home, like it or not. Sorry, kids, you'll have to complain about your lack of access to Pop Tarts and Doritos and Famous Amos to your therapist 20 years hence.
At Apartment Therapy's The Kitchn, Laure Joliet suggests 10 alternative ideas that break the mold for weekday kids’ lunches.
In some ways kids are easy: they'll eat pizza for every meal for a week and be happy, or they'll decide they only like one thing (hard boiled eggs) and it takes the guess work out of preparing meals. But for lunch, we're committed to expanding the kids' palates and introducing them to slightly new flavors, slightly new ideas of how lunch can be.
From ideas as easy as switching up the bread used for sandwiches to more complicated ideas like an adorable Tiger Bento, this list should give even the busiest Mom some great, doable options.
If your child eats a gluten-free diet, check out the extensive list of ideas compiled by Kate of Gluten Free Gobsmacked. I particularly love the strawberry mice (made of strawberries, almonds and mini chocolate chips) that make an appearance close to the end of the post.
Here are some other posts that feature great lunch ideas:
- Anti-Pasto Lunch Box by Amy of Super Healthy Kids
- Mini Meatball and Fruit Kebab Lunchbox on The Allergic Kid
- Kid-Friendly Wraps by Elise of Simply Recipes
- Back to School Olive Challenge Recipe Roundup by Rachael of La Fuji Mama
What are your favorite tips for packing great school lunches? Share your ideas in the comments below.
Genie blogs about gardening and food at The Inadvertent Gardener, and tells very short tales at 100 Proof Stories. She also tells stories with photos at 5x52.
Photo Credit: Photo by luckysundae, shared under an Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License.
