My 3-year-old and I went Back To School shopping together in August for the first time. He chose a matching set of zoo animal paraphernalia: an oversized backpack, a water bottle, and of course, a lunchbox.
Cute, right?
But that lunchbox, in particular, represents a new phase of life for both of us: my son is beginning his school career, and I’m beginning my career as a school mom. And school moms pack lunches. Those cute animal faces now watch me menacingly from the kitchen counter, a constant reminder of the extra task that has been added to my already-hectic morning routine.
By Week 2 of school, it was becoming clear that my lunch-packing was repetitive and subpar. So I worked to compile a list of options to add variety. Allow yourself to benefit from my research, and spare yourself the mom-guilt that arises while searching for preschool lunch ideas on Pinterest. None of my suggestions involve themes, foods cut into animal shapes, or Michelin-star presentation.
My method, instead, includes selecting one or two items from each of the following categories:
ENTREES:
- sandwich (bread, tortilla wrap, or bagel)
- dip (hummus, guacamole, white bean dip, or baba ganoush) with sliced veggies, chips, or crackers
- noodles (mac and cheese, pesto, or butter and parmesan)
- deli meat or meat stick
- sunflower seed butter* and jelly (or sliced fruit for less processed sugar)
- beans (black beans, white beans, refried beans, or chickpeas)
- tuna or tuna salad
- hardboiled egg or egg salad
- smoothie
FRUITS & VEGGIES:
- sliceable: apples, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, avocado, carrots, melon, or pineapple
- wash & go: grapes, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, grape tomatoes, peas, shelled edamame, baby carrots, broccoli or cauliflower florets, green beans, celery, or olives
- peel: banana, clementine, or grapefruit
OTHER SNACKS:
- raisins
- veggie straws
- popcorn
- crackers (Goldfish, graham crackers, Townhouse, etc.)
- yogurt or Go-Gurt
- pudding
- muffin
- rice cake
- applesauce pouch
- fruit leather or fruit snacks
- granola or granola bar
- string cheese
- dry cereal
- waffle
Tips:
- Dedicate time at the beginning of each week to prepping fresh fruits and veggies. Store in the refrigerator in Ziploc containers that you can quickly grab in the morning.
2. Choose a few items from the lists above that have been out of rotation, and add them to your next grocery list. Introduce it to your child at home first.
3. Send leftovers. Keep in mind, as I’ve learned from experience, if your kid didn’t love it the first time, he probably won’t eat it at school.
4. Most importantly, be sure you are complying with your school’s food allergy guidelines. *As I’m sure we all know, peanut butter is most likely off-limits.
Bon appetit!
