By Sherry of Chaos Theory

There are always rough transitional moments when the school year starts back up; getting up early and rushing everyone out the door, getting back to the grind of homework, and regular bedtimes to name a few.  However, one thing that always seems to strike fear into parents is the thought of having to pack a school lunch.  Many schools offer up hot lunches, but they’re not always appealing and the truth is they cost a lot more than a lunch you prepare and send yourself.

In our home, we usually order a few meals off the hot lunch menu as a treat, and the school also has a monthly pizza day which is a big hit.  Other than that, my daughter takes her lunch in with her.  There are certain rules and guidelines in our school.  We’re a nut-free zone, so peanut butter is out.  They also don’t allow anything considered to be junk food (chips, candy, soft drinks, etc).  I’ve heard some parents grumble about it at general assembly meetings, but honestly, it’s not that hard to pack an appealing healthy lunch.

Some things we like to send include:

* Cheese sandwiches - I lightly toast the bread first, she likes it better
* Cream cheese on a bagel
* Tuna sandwiches
* Hard-boiled eggs
* Homemade “lunchables” - The packaged versions are pricey and full of sodium so I send her with sliced delil meat, slices of cheddar cheese, and a handful of crackers and she’s just as happy
* Leftovers - We have a small Thermos and it makes is so easy to just pack up last night’s supper or some soup.  Tip: Fill it with boiling water for 10-15 minutes, drain, then fill it with your food.  It helps to keep it piping hot.
* Fruit - Most kids have at least one fruit they enjoy, and it’s a perfect snack.  We tend to send apples, oranges, or sliced melons.  Bananas are a favorite but they bruise easily in a lunch bag.
* Yogurt - We sometimes get individual packs but you can also spoon out a single portion from a larger tub if you use plastic containers.
* Cheese sticks, baby carrots, raisins - anything that can be considered finger food makes a great snack

Basically a school lunch is limited only by your school’s guidelines and your own imagination.  And don’t feel like a sandwich has to be plain old bread.  You can use bagels, tortillas, or skip the bread altogether.  Your kids love tuna but hate sandwiches?  Send the tuna salad in a container with a spoon!

This was today’s lunch.  We had leftovers that she wanted to eat, so I put that in her Thermos, then added a yogurt, some applesauce in a container, and a juice box.  She has gym today so I also gave her a little baggie of dry cereal in case she’s hungrier than usual.

You can also get creative; I’ve used a paring knife and bits of green relish to turn plain boiled eggs into a silly lunch and my daughter thought it was the funniest thing she’d ever seen. [image of eggs]  I also like to occasionally throw a little note in there.  I don’t do it every day but if I know she has a test or had a bad day I’ll slip in something encouraging.  Even if your child isn’t reading yet, you can use simple pictures to create a note.

Making lunches is actually the easy part, especially if you prep as much as possible the night before so you don’t have to run around too much first thing in the morning.  Just don’t ask me to tell you how to make sure your spoons all come back home, because I’m still trying to figure that one out.

How about you? Do you have any good suggestions for what to include in your child’s lunch bag?