School lunch hacks

Hey Guys!

It's Back to School time here in Australia! Can I hear a hallelujah from all the parents?! 

Today I thought I would share my tips for making school lunches.

My oldest is now in Year 9, so I have made A LOT of school lunches. Some days are a lot easier than others, some days you just want to send your kids with some $$$ to buy lunch because you really can't be bothered (usually happens during the last 2 weeks of each term...). However, these tips will make it a lot easier on you every day!

First off, before school starts, help your child learn how to make a sandwich. Teaching independence in this area from an early age will make your life easier! Keep spreads, bread, sandwich bags, etc, in a place where they can reach easily to ensure independence and watch them go! I have found that when kids get the choice in what they eat, particularly on a sandwich, they are more likely to eat it. Which is why I get the kids to fill their lunch boxes with things THEY choose. Never get kids to make their sandwhiches before school in the morning as they do take longer to make it. 

Second tip is to avoid fancy lunch boxes. Lunch containers like the bento style make it more time consuming to fill and they are more expensive. My kids all use the Sistema Klip It 2L containers. These are on for 1/2 price this week at Woolworths and this is the only time I buy them. $3 for a lunch box that can fit a whole heap in it (bananas in particular... the struggle is real...) is a winner in my books. Another reason I prefer these, is that boys in particular can be rough with lunch boxes and drink bottles. We went through 4 or 5 lunch boxes for my son in one year, which is where this tip comes from. 

Next is to make as much snacks as you can at home. Store brought items such as muesli bars are pricey, but they are so easy to make at home. Muffins are a great lunch box filler and there are so many possibilities for flavours. We have one basic recipe that you can adapt for either sweet or savoury muffins. Pikelets are a brillian lunch box filler, as are dried fruit balls, healthy cookies (we just made banana choc chip cookies... they are winners according to my kiddos!) and homemade yoghurt.

Tip number 4 is to have as many non sandwich options as possible. My son in particular, really dislikes sandwiches. I mean really does not like them. He would rather go hungry than eat a sandwich. I do not let him go hungry, instead, when I am making snacks I make some of them with a bit of extra protien (we use Sustagen Neutral and it blends into most foods really well) or oats to bulk it up a bit. So I will put some quick oats into a muffin mix or pikelet batter, for example. Also, leftovers are great substitutes for sandwiches. Dishes like our Savoury Mince and pasta dinners are a great alternative.

My 5th tip is to have a snack menu. Having some choices for snacks written out on the fridge where everyone can see it can be easier for the young one's to choose a snack. Have healthy options available first so you know that they are getting the good nutrients before anything else. Organising a snack menu will also cut down on the time they spend looking for the snacks they want in their lunch box. This week we have Muesli balls, pikelets, hidden veg choc muffins (they helped make them so they know what they are eating, but they still LOVE them!) and banana choc chip cookies. These are all in the freezer so they know immediately where they can get them so it does not take long at all for them to make their own lunches.

I hope these tips have helped you guys in some way, they have certainly made our lives a lot easier!

Thanks for reading!

Jacqui xxx