Tips for a Packed Lunch

One of my 2009 New Year’s resolutions was to prepare my daughters’ school lunches the day before, instead of racing around on school day mornings in a panic trying to get them to finish their orange juice and cereal while I put together a rushed lunch kit and hurry them out the door, toothpaste dribbles still drying on their chins.

So far I’ve done admirably well, but not without a little preparation and thought. And since I know I’m certainly not alone in the packed lunch struggle, I thought I’d share some of my most successful tips with you:

1. Plan lunches a week in advance and shop accordingly. Then you won’t find you’re out of cheese slices (or whatever) at the last minute.
2. Pack a lunch buffet – sandwiches get soggy after sitting in a backpack all morning, so pack a sliced multigrain bun and in a separate container pack a slice of ham, turkey or whatever your child likes, along with some tomato or cucumber slices. Include a slice of cheese and a small container with mayo, and your child will have a fresh and tasty sandwich at lunch. Or, if they’re like my kids, they’ll eat all the components of the sandwich individually. Whatever – it makes them happy and, as my mom would say, “it’s all going to the same place”.
3. Make sure their fruit is in season and ready to eat. I’ve seen too many bruised and battered apples come home in the bottoms of backpacks not to pick up on this tip. During the early part of the year, citrus fruits are at their peak season, so I always buy lots. My girls are huge fans of Florida grapefruit, but you can imagine how that would go over in the lunchroom – they’re just too big and my kids are not old enough to have mastered the skill of peeling. I often peel and section a whole grapefruit, putting half in each lunch bag. Or else I cut a Florida grapefruit in half and then in thirds – we call these “twinkies” (and I don’t remember why, so don’t ask!). But by far the favourite choice for my kids is a fresh fruit salad. I cut up an apple and a grapefruit, add in some grapes and drizzle a tablespoon of Florida orange juice over the top (to keep the apples from browning too much)
4. Mix it up with their beverages. I like to alternate their drink choices for lunch. We use refillable juice boxes and I fill them with either milk, water, Florida orange juice, Florida grapefruit or a citrus cocktail made from both juices. I find my kids are more reliable about actually finishing their drink when boredom isn’t a factor.

I hope my tips will help you reduce some of the stress that always seems to accompany packed lunches.