[Note: This post and all advocacy posts are unsponsored and unaffiliated. I bought any and all items discussed with my own pennies and no one is editing the content of this or any post except myself. Ever.]
So, lunch. MmmmHmmm. Let’s talk about this real quick, shall we? Ry has to take a snack every day to school. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays she takes a lunch and 2 snacks since it’s a full day. Plus, she’s got at least an hour on the bus, and this little girl… her body eats up energy just walking, so we need some good food. Everyday. Lots of it.
Here’s the situation:
We use this Happy Tiffin lunch box. Um, love it. It can go in the dishwasher. It has 2 compartments and the lid doubles as a plate. Plastic baggies are unnecessary with the food-grade stainless steel. The side latches are secure and simple enough for Ry’s little fingers. It’s $16. She thinks it’s cute and is so excited to open it every day. Win.
Confession: when this first arrived, I kind of freaked out thinking it was too small. For the first time EVER [lie], I was completely wrong. Smaller portions and a variety of options each day ensure that lunch box comes home completely empty. I just had to re-work my old-fashioned brain a little bit. Does she need a whole apple? No. Would she eat 4 apple slices and some granola in a cute cup? Yes. It’s PLENTY of room for her 2 snacks, lunch, and a couple extra snacks just in case of a bus snack attack. She carries a water bottle separately.
I bought a $4 cookie cutter for sandwiches that fits perfectly in the tin. It cuts out, like 87% [questionable math alert] of a regular slice of bread, so there’s very little waste (zero waste if you have a 2 year old scavenger around) and she’s super excited to eat it. You can find bajillions [yes] of cookie cutter options in the baking aisle at the grocery store. We also use these silicone baking cups when they don’t have rocks and lego people in them GIDEON JAMES.
I’d like to buy a couple sets of these ice pop molds to freeze yogurt in and such. Or, maybe these ones since they are a little smaller.
It’s a peanut-free school. Tree nuts are ok. No problem. I stocked up on peanut-free SCHOOL ONLY snacks to make things easier. I had to hide them because my children are crazy. We go big on crunchy snacks because they are so tactile for Ry. Her mouth and speech need lots of activity to make things work better. Did you know your snacks can help develop good speech patterns? They can. I do not lie. Carrot sticks and pretzels and almonds and crackers… all these things help wake her muscles up.
She loves to dip, so hummus goes in quite a bit using one of these little guys from LunchBots. I’m saving up to get this triple set from them as well. There will only be more lunches to pack in the future and it would be nice to have backups in different sizes while something else is in the dishwasher or if [like this would happen] someone left their lunch box at school GIDEON JAMES IN 3 YEARS.
Confession: I don’t insulate anything. Everything that goes in the lunch or snack bag is frozen or able to survive the day without an ice pack. I can never remember to take the little gel pack out and re-freeze it. Honestly, it’s like I missed a class or something. So, it’s out. FORGET YOU, ICE PACKS! You are not the boss of me! [runs to her room, slams door]
Some of our staples: pretzels, goldfish crackers, triscuits, kiwi, apple slices, grapes, bananas, cucumber slices, hummus, cherry tomatoes, raisins, Monkey Bars, Stretch Island Fruit Co. fruit strips, popcorn, string cheese, carrot sticks
Alright, what are your school lunch favorites?
In my day, I took a bagel sandwich with cream cheese and ham. And a whole dill pickle wrapped in foil. Every. Single. Day. I did.
September 6th, 2012 at 8:03 am
You are truly ” mother of the year.” I LOVE it! I signed up for MOMables, compliments of Colene Johnson. It’s about $5 a month, but it gives me awesome lunch ideas that I never thought of before. Plus they’re super easy to make and prepare. I bought my boys Bento boxes that have the separate compartments. 3 days in, so far, so good. I used to bring my lunch to school in a large brown paper bag from IGA grocery store with a bag of Doritos and the green rubber band from the newspaper wrapped around it, a loaf of white bread and a jar of peanut butter.Basically I was “that” kid….
September 6th, 2012 at 8:08 am
Ha! Oh, man, I remember having to take whole HUGE bags of Doritos with the crumbs in the bottom and a rubber band around the top!
September 6th, 2012 at 8:21 am
Which now reminds me of my friend Ben, who used to show up for English 1st period with an actual bowl of cereal and a real spoon from his mom’s kitchen… AND an unpeeled, whole carrot.
I miss Ben.
September 6th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
Ben! He and I went to the choir banquet on my first date ever. I was so embarrassed that my little brother yelled something about kissing on our way out the door that I barely talked to him the rest of the year. Still feel really bad about that. Wish I could tell him how dumb I was. Anyone still in contact with him?
September 6th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Ben is married to Dana Koonsen! They are on facebook, but rarely 🙂
September 6th, 2012 at 8:39 am
I had a “Ben” in my class, but his name was David. He used to always bring sliced cucumbers and a miniature Morton Salt shaker. Oh, and he had a Thermos with HOT SOUP in it! I really felt a little jaded toward David. I mean, he actually had it all, included a real lunch box that latched. I had an IGA grocery store leftover.
September 6th, 2012 at 8:41 am
Okay, these are fabulous Katie – we used the stacking tins camping in Africa (saw them first on a fancy safari resort) and I have a giant set coming home on that container, but I never thought to use a smaller one for lunches. Although, I’m looking at the site now and while they have “flower shaped sandwich” sized ones, there are no “ravenous teenage boy” sized ones. I’ll have to put it on my *list
September 6th, 2012 at 8:44 am
They have a triple-decker one… and the colored ones are on sale, I think 🙂 Those would prolly be better for adults (and growing SuperHeros).
September 6th, 2012 at 9:27 am
Katie and Katie – you two are killing me! And the “You are not the boss of me!” sort of made me guffaw. I want to get the Mitten cookie cutter you posted on Pinterest. Who wouldn’t want a Michigan sandwich in their lunch?!?
September 6th, 2012 at 9:32 am
I know, right? I hope Meijer gets those in around Winter time, because Ry would flip if she found a mitten sandwich in her lunch box.
September 6th, 2012 at 9:31 am
Let it be known that this post was pure magic. I’m going to be lovingly scolding GIDEON JAMES in my head allll day 😉
My favorite part of my school lunch was my milk money, because I bought cookies with it. Sometimes Nutty Bars. Sigh.
September 6th, 2012 at 9:36 am
You got MILK MONEY?! I so wanted milk money. I also wanted to be in the hot lunch line so bad but no dice.
September 6th, 2012 at 9:56 am
these are genius ideas! i’m just starting on the packing a lunch journey with stella. we got her a bento box too with an adorable case covered in cherries, although she just needs a lunch as snacks are provided. apparently (first day yesterday), she was so into her own lunch that she passed on the communal snacks. and it came home empty! so i’m currently batting 1.000. woohoo. but i already feel my creative energy waning.
she’s big on dipping too, so we’ll be sending lots of hummus and guacamole. also muffins. and lots of fruit this time of year. i love the look of those tiny containers!
September 6th, 2012 at 9:58 am
Oooooh, muffins. That’s a GREAT idea. I love you. Congrats on batting 1.000 🙂
September 6th, 2012 at 9:58 am
In elementary I had a Menudo (Mexican boy band…my mom was a Spanish teacher you know) lunchbox until I graduated to Smurfette. Then…it was brown bags through JH and HS. I took bagel sammies all the time too! Ike loves PBJ’s, but he also likes ham and cheese roll ups. Squeezy applesauce is always a winner for him and yogurt in any form. He also loves dried fruit…cherries are his favorite. 🙂
September 6th, 2012 at 10:01 am
Hmmm. I wonder what she would do with dried fruit? That’s a great call.
I had a purple Lisa Frank lunch box and matching thermos with the flip straw. I miss it.
September 6th, 2012 at 11:29 am
One thing I learned about ice packs — especially living in the CA desert — is that if it’s essential, freeze their low-sugar, no high fructose corn syrup juice boxes. It doubles as a little icy treat as part of their lunch that keeps the lunch cool if needed.
Thanks for all the great ideas. Wish you had kids earlier, I could have used the advice! Kid #2 really does have it eaiser!
September 6th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
I’m with you on the juice boxes. One of my favorite elementary memories is having a capri-sun slushie at lunch because it wasn’t thawed all the way.
September 6th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
When I was little, I had a lunch box and thermos (can’t remember the character) but my mom got wise to the fact that cleaning out a thermos of milk is sick and wrong (yes, we pre-date dishwashers) and ended up sending us with brown bags, a sandwich, an apple and a quarter for milk. Every. Day. When I got to high school, I used babysitting money to buy a Pepsi and Nutty Bars (We’re cut from the same cloth, Laura).
Clark has a Cars lunchbox that he picked out himself. He gets a juice box and no peanuts (There’s a kid with death-threatening allergies. Bless that mother’s soul.).
So, our list looks a lot like yours. Except Clark LOVES celery and eats it almost everyday. I also try to throw in a treat, you know, since I never got one.
What I’m finding, though, is that the child will come home not having eaten hardly any of his lunch. Not surprising, since I have to force him to eat at home. How he has the energy to move constantly without fuel is BEYOND ME.
September 6th, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Picture Laura like an Anna Foster with dark brown hair and glasses. You would like her very much, Kim.
September 6th, 2012 at 12:47 pm
how weird that they’re peanut free but not nut free entirely. my guy has a tree nut allergy and we avoid ALL nuts (peanut and tree varieties) because of the high potential for cross contamination. anyhoo…
love the tiffin!
September 6th, 2012 at 7:20 pm
I know! Church and pre-school were both peanut-free but tree nut ok, too… and all have kids with severe allergies, but for whatever reason, it hasn’t spread beyond the peanuts. And for that, we are thankful.
September 6th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
Drinking thick milkshakes through straws also help to develop tongue muscles. Our youngest had to do that while in speech class. When the classes ended, he threw fits about no longer being able to drink a milkshake with dinner….
September 10th, 2012 at 8:00 am
Yes! Milkshakes… what a great idea. I think there should be milkshake therapy for EVERYONE in the family on those nights 🙂