Time to pack school lunches! Is this the worst task of parenthood ever?? I have a love/hate relationship with grocery shopping, but making and packing lunches is something I actually really really enjoy š Perhaps that puts me in the minority, but it’s the truth.
That being said, if you are in the opposite camp – and are burned out by the very idea of filling bento boxes before September has even hit – then mayyyybe I can help you out a little bit? A girl can dream right?
I’m not expecting you to adore the process, but I do think a few tips help go a long way. For instance, meal planning. You already know it’s a “thing” right? Maybe you do it for your family’s weekly dinners. But do you do it for lunches too (and if you do, how do you do it)?
Obviously there’s no right or wrong way, but I do think I have a pretty decent system figured out. Here are the two key things.
1. Figure out what container you are packing in. PlanetBox seems to be the winner for a variety of reasons, but we have had these easy lunchboxes for years and as much as I hate using plastic, it seems more wasteful to toss them. So for the time being I am re-using these over and over until they have no life left in them (and then I will switch over to stainless steel). The reason I think it’s important to have your tupperware picked out first is because once you know what kinds of compartments you have to fill, you can plan with it in mind. This way you don’t find yourself struggling to smash things into too small spaces after the fact. Our lunchboxes have three compartments – small, medium, and large – so I plan things out accordingly, designating items into each spot when I do meal prep.
2. Ask your child to make a list with you of things he/she wants to eat. The brainstorming session has two purposes: it gives your kiddo a feeling of control and choice PLUS it helps you come up with ideas that you know will be well received. You don’t have to stick exactly to their list, but if they see one or two items that they picked out when they open their bag up, it will probably bring a little bit of excitement when lunchtime arrives. I categorized the things as he (we) came up with them, fruits, veggies, snacks, mains, and treats.
Now I can pick something from each category, figure out which compartment it is going into and BOOM lunch is planned.
Bagel w sunbutter, broccoli, apple slices, plantain chips, game, set, match.
If you have a slow eater who would rather get out to the playground than sit and eat a balanced meal, I feel you. I’m in the same boat. All I packed last year (for kinder) was a single snack and sometimes even his favorite combo of walnuts and dates would come home half eaten because “playing animals” was a priority. As much as I wanted to encourage him to EAT, I also felt like entrusting him to take care of himself was an important step in his development. That said, he was coming home for lunch every day, so a few hours without food wasn’t that big of a deal. Now that he’s in first grade, he will eat lunch at school. So I have no control over how much or how little he eats. But just like before, I’m focusing on the positive. Like him learning to listen to his own hunger cues and eat intuitively. Raising a child who eats freely (in tune with his body & without external influences – including his mom’s prodding!) is just as important of a skill to nurture as all the other social, physical, and educational subjects he is going to school for!
All that is to say…I am going to be doing my best to pack nutrient dense foods that are easy (read: fast) to eat. A sandwich will take him a month. Cubes of tofu will take him 1/8th the time. You catch my drift?
Meatballs was one of the first things he brainstormed for me. So I figured I should prep a big batch before school started to get him through week one.
You don’t have to make them, like I did, but these are easy peasy with just over five ingredients (plus salt and pepper).
Turkey and eggplant meatballs
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 small eggplant, finely chopped
- 1 small yellow onion or 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 cloves roasted garlic (or minced garlic)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (I used herb infused oil)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast [optional]
- salt & pepper
Directions:
Finely chop all the veggies. If you don’t have roasted garlic, you could just use fresh garlic. Add the oil and nutritional yeast (if using). You could use parmesan cheese in place of nutritional yeast if you don’t have it on hand. Mix well and fold into the ground meat. Add salt and pepper liberally.
Roll into small balls and place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
I don’t usually try to “hide” veggies in their food because they eat everything so there is no need, but we were about to get the next week’s CSA and I still had an eggplant and to use up. You could use any veggies you have on hand – zucchini, sweet potatoes, spinach, whatever – or just omit.
And if you don’t have time to make your own meatballs, there is no shame in buying store bought ones. I realize not everyone has the time or resources to make everything from scratch like I do. Earth’s Best and beetnik are both good options (organic without weird/unnecessary added ingreds) and are widely available. Feel free to serve it with a dollop of ketchup on the side too, if your kiddo is into dipping.
Just don’t lose sight of the main goal, which is to make your life easy while packing balanced food for your kid. Making a full batch of meatballs means you will have enough for a few lunches. Variety is great, but you don’t need to make something new each and every day. That’s why I do a week (sometimes two) at a time and rely on meal prepping to keep things streamlined.
Here’s what else I bought and prepped for the week. Feel free to copy or adapt as you need! They are listed daily by compartment size from smallest to largest. The amount you pack is up to you and your child.
- dried pineapple + raisins
- carrots
- meatballs + pita wedges
- dried figs + dates
- carrots
- pasta + edamame
- blueberries + almonds
- bell peppers
- meatballs + pita wedges
- yogurt covered raisins
- apple + pear rings
- pasta + bell peppers + cucumbers + tofu
- energy bites
- carrots + cucumbers
- meatballs + pita wedges
As you can see, there are a few things that repeat, but some in different ways (ie veggies plain vs in the pasta).
Here’s your grocery list:
-meatballs (ground turkey, onion/shallot, eggplant, nutritional yeast)
-dried pineapple, dried figs, dried pear, dried apple rings, dates
-bell peppers, carrots, cucumber
-edamame, tofu
-noodles
-almonds
-blueberries
-yogurt covered raisins
-pita bread
We bought almost all of this from the bulk bins, using our own jars and writing the tare and item number on the grocery list to keep things no/low waste. The Davis co-op even has tofu in the bulk bins. We are very lucky hippies. š
In addition to making the meatballs, the only other prep you will need to do is boil pasta (I did penne) and chop veggies.
YOU GOT THIS!
