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2 of my 3 children are in elementary school, and they have brought their lunch to school almost every day.
This is a choice I have made because I do like to have some control over what they eat for lunch. I am not super picky about food, and I don’t mind them eating school lunches every once in a while. I do like to be able to provide them with some good fruits and veggies that I know will end up in their bellies (and not the lunchroom trash can). Having them bring their lunch to school each day seems like the best choice for us.
Lunch ideas:
I always enjoy seeing lunch ideas on other blogs and in magazine articles. In fact, Lisa Leake from 100 Days of Real food has great, creative lunch ideas on her blog. Check out this link and be inspired! https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/school-lunches/
My ideas are probably not quite as inspiring as Lisa’s, but I wanted to share them with you in case you are on the hunt for simple ideas.
- Homemade waffles with peanut butter (At my kids’ school you can have peanut butter at lunchtime; you just sit on a specific side of the cafeteria.)
- Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese
- Cheese and crackers
- Ham & cheese on pita bread or a roll
and then fruit, veggies, yogurt & water
- Fruit: Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, grapes
- Veggies: Cucumbers, baby carrots, bell peppers
- Yogurt: squeeze or smoothie
- Water
Products we use:
- Lunch boxes
My son has an LL Bean box & my daughter has one from Lands End. I prefer the Lands End because it is slightly larger. The inside lining is also a bit easier to clean than the one from LL Bean. They both do their job, though and have held up quite well.
- Lunch containers
- Water bottles.
Advantages to bringing:
- They have more time to eat. My children occasionally buy, but my son often complains that his eating time is shortened when they have to wait in line for their lunch. If a child brings their lunch from home then they can get to their seat right away and begin eating. Lunchtime is already a short amount of time, so any extra that can be given is important.
- You can see what they eat. I was a school teacher before having kids, and I saw the waste that occurred lunchtime after lunchtime. Most of that waste happened when children were eating school lunches. They would rush through their meal and then dump the tray after just a few bites. Kids who bring don’t tend to dump; instead, they usually leave what they don’t eat allowing parents to see the leftovers.
There may come a time when buying more school lunches makes sense, but for now we are happy to pack their lunches each evening and allow them to bring a lunch from home.
What about you? Do your children bring their lunch to school? Do you have any lunch ideas or helpful tips to share? I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Leave a comment below!
Until next time,
Charissa
I always make my kids’ lunches. ? I like how you keep it simple, yet have a little variety in there so they don’t get bored. Isn’t that always the balance we are looking for?!
I’m going to need your tips when my son starts school!
I almost always send my kids with lunch. It would cost $45 / week to have the three of them buy food that is overly processed, unhealthy and gross. I can send them good fuel for their bodies for much less than that.
Good fuel! Yes!!
As a teacher and now a mom, my toddler will never eat school lunches when she gets to be school age! Those meals are not healthy and as you mentioned, mean that kids have less time to eat. I love your healthy solutions and suggestions of containers. Water bottles with the closed lids are always a house choice for the classroom also!
Hi, Brittany! Teachers definitely have the inside scoop on cafeteria life!
I don’t have to think about this for a couple years bc my son is 1.5 but you make awesome points! I almost always took my lunch as a kid. It’s also a good way to sneak in some bonding time if you leave notes or cut the food up special to let your kids know how much you care!
I love your sweet ideas about bonding through notes or special surprises! I need to be better about doing this. Thanks, Ayana!
Great tips! I have to pack for the two of mine in public school sometimes because they have food allergies.
Thanks, Lisa! 🙂
We’ll definitely be packing lunches when they get to that age. You make a good point about having more time to eat!
Hi, Allison! The time is so short, and there are so many distractions…any extra time they can have (like being able to sit down right away with their own lunch) is a good thing!
My son is in 1st grade and only buys his lunch on Fridays for pizza day. He loves bringing his lunch the other days and definitely knows what kind of food he likes.
I think pizza day will always being a school lunch favorite!
My first grader loves bringing his lunch… Occasionally, when my hubs and I are super busy or tired, we try to convince him to buy so we get a little break, but he rarely agrees. Thanks for so many great tips to make it a little easier on us.
Hi, Kate! The more I have had my children bring their lunch (because a few years ago they did a little more buying), the less they want to buy. I’m okay with that, but you’re right, sometimes it’s nice to have a little break.
Great perspective! Growing up we never had a “cafeteria” or anything at our school so we all had to bring our lunch anyways, but when my little ones go to school I am going to make sure I always pack them a lunch! Thanks for sharing!
Happy to share, Brit!
If we were sending our kids to school I would definitely want to pack their lunches as well. One of my daughters is a borderline problem feeder and I doubt she would eat much of anything (at least anything nutritious) unless I packed foods I know she will eat. I will be keeping your ideas in mind for our outings throughout the week 🙂
Glad you were able to get a couple ideas, Sarah!
I grew up eating packed lunches 99.9 % of the time. I can totally appreciate this. I plan to do this with my kiddos too!
🙂
I pack lunches for my kids everyday. Twice a week that means I pack four lunches! Always looking for new ideas to try. I like knowing what they are eating. And I can easily tell what they don’t like when it comes back home uneaten. I like to write little notes on their napkins too.
I love the idea of writing notes on the napkins, Jenny! How long would you say it takes you to pack four lunches?
I send our son’s lunch because I know what they serve, and what he’d choose. Like you said, this way I know what he is eating. I love your waffle idea. He got tired of PBJ sandwiches, and the little girl he likes has peanut allergies so we have started doing roll ups. I may start using some sunbutter to switch him up and so he can still sit next to her lol.
Hi, Angie! Sunbutter is a good idea!!