Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
Karlie and Brina’s lunches all packed and ready to go for school.
With the school year in full bloom we have once again started the lunch box routine. Every evening before going to bed we put together all the lunches for the following day including school and work lunches. After everything is all packed the lunch boxes are put into the refrigerator so in the morning all that we need to do it pull them out, stick in an ice pack, and go. The mornings are busy enough with activity so prepping the night before saves us a lot of time. We try to pack a protein (sandwich / meat), fruit, vegetable, diary (yogurt or cheese stick), drink, and snack in each lunch. Everyday is a little different to add more variety to their lunches.
Fresh plums, garden tomatoes, and other goodies
Lunch Box Meal:
- Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Sandwich
- Fresh Red Plums
- Blueberry or Mixed Berry Yogurt Tubes
- Garden Red Cherry Tomatoes
- Ritz Cheese Crackers
- Strawberry Fruit Rollup
- Honey Ham Stick
- Mini M&M’s
- Reduced Sugar Cherry or Pineapple Juice
The cupcake sandwich container and princess baggie add a little more excitement to the lunch.
While it may look like a lot of food the items packed in their lunch boxes have to get them through the majority of the day including school lunch and an afternoon snack. We have activities after school every day of the week so whatever they don’t eat for lunch they will eat as a snack on the way to the activity for the day. Since we have started doing the school lunch boxes they have had more energy because they are eating a more balanced meal and snack plus we know exactly what they are eating. Do you pack lunches everyday for your kids? How do you keep it exciting for them?
Be My Valentine: “Love Bug” Notes
Little ladybug “love” notes in the girls school lunches
The girls love getting surprises in their lunch boxes. I found these adorable ladybug notes (aka “love bug” notes in our house) and waited until I had a coupon to buy them at our local Hallmark store. It is my intention to send a special note or treat with the girls lunches at least once a week (on a good week I do it 2 or 3 times). In a time pinch I put these fun bugs on their sandwich containers or random places in their lunch.
Fun note to remind the girls we love them
Not only do these notes brighten the girls days it also encourages them to read. The notes are cute and it only takes a minute to add them to their lunch box.
Karlie’s Note – Buzzing by to say….. Consider yourself HUGGED! Squeeeeeeeeze
Karlie has been known to keep her “love” notes in her lunch box for weeks. She gets so excited about the little notes that sometimes when I ask her how her day went the first thing she tells me about is the “love bug” she found in her lunch.
Brina’s Note – A little buggy told me you’ve been working really hard. You should feel so proud!
Brina loves getting these notes in her lunch so much that she has a baggie full of them in her “special” drawer at home. I know the girls appreciate these small reminders of our love.
I love having these on hand to add a little bit of variety to the special surprises.You could pick up these or something similar at your local Hallmark store or find some online to print off or make up some of your own to print off. What type of goodies do you put in your kids lunch boxes?
