More on School Lunches: Helpful products

Note:  I started this post this summer and I forgot to post it.  I hope in answers some of your questions after last week's lunch inspiration post.  

Schools are heading back to school over the next month and my kids start next week.  With that being said, there have been a lot of people asking questions about packing lunches for their kids and when I posted that I found or favorite Easy Lunchboxes at Target last week, I've had a ton of questions.  I did a instagram story, but those don't really last very long, so I thought I would write it down in a quick blog post.

I have previously posted other posts on packing your child's lunch and you can find those
here
and
here. 

I think packing lunches can be overwhelming.  I mean, everywhere you look, people post beautiful orchestrated works of art that they hope and pray that their children will eat. And on the other side, social media is filled with stories of food shaming and kids that are treated horrible for bringing an oreo in their lunch.  It's kind of crazy.  But, the reality is that you want your kid to eat their lunch so they can do their best at school.  I've been packing lunches for a few years and I've learned a few things that make easy and worth it!

First of all. . . A bento box where the food is all in one spot is completely worth it.  We like the Easy Lunch boxes and have been using them since Ethan was in TK (He's going to be a 3rd grader! He's halfway done with third grade!).  They are easy to open, dishwasher safe, and stack nicely for storage.  We like these because everything is in one spot and not a bunch of bags.  We also like the Lunchbotz metal box, but they are a bit pricey.

Both fit nicely into the Potterybarn Kids Lunch pail, which are long lasting and are machine washable.  We use the size of their classic lunch box.  These hold up so nicely and last for several years!  Ethan's is on year 3 and it will probably be retired this year, but it still looks great, minus some wear and tear.  We also use the Rubbermaid ice blocks to put underneath the bento box to keep it cold.  These keep the kids food cold well past lunch, which is great, because most of the year is hot and that food needs to stay cold and not go bad in the 3 hours it is in their classroom before lunch.

These silicon cupcake liners work really well for making sure you have little compartments for different, smaller lunch foods, like carrots, crackers, energy bites, etc.  (I can't find the square ones right now, but they have lots of fun shapes.  Plus, they go in the dishwasher. . . another plus!

Another favorite item is our Infantino Fresh Squeezed system.  It has been a lifesaver for Weston, since he can't have anything with dairy or soy.  It makes packing his yogurt way easier and it allows it to fit in his lunch.  It also looks like the applesauce pouches so you could make smoothies and send them in their lunch.  The possibilities are endless!

Easy Lunch Boxes makes the coolest little dip containers with lids that work great for our hummus and ranch, but we also like to use the 2 oz plastic containers as well as the 4 oz plastic containers. This way, I can make a batch of jello and it lasts several days and doesn't take up room in the fridge as much as 6 lunch boxes just hanging out in there.  

Also, feel free to come follow me on Instagram, so you can check out  #klassenlunches for some more lunchtime inspiration. 

I hope that making healthy lunches that your kids want to eat is a little less daunting after this post.  Also, don't be discouraged it they don't eat everything.  The point of it is to have choices and for them to learn how to make good choices.  We have a rule that if the treat is the only thing gone when they get home, no more treats for awhile.  Another thing is, kids talk.  Sometimes, they spend all their lunch eating time gabbing with their BFF and forget to take a bite.  Hopefully, by having all their food in front of them, they get some energy building food.  We also, check lunch boxes when they get home and if they have any food left (and it still looks decent) that becomes their after school snack.

I would love to hear what you do for your child's lunch or if you have any questions. 

NOTE: I feel like I should mention that NOBODY has paid me to tell you about these products.  These are just our favorites and I think you would like them too!