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You can make quick, easy, healthy school lunches for your kids in no time flat!
Prep ahead of time. Here are some ideas we use:
Prebake muffins. Freeze them. Take one out per day and throw it in the lunch for snacktime.
Cut up a melon and store it in the fridge (a big watermelon can last all week!)
Dried fruit. It doesn't go bad, it's sweet like candy, it can fill any small spot in a lunch container.
Baby carrots. Kids love em, they do not need cutting, they may be the only vegetable some kids eat.
Grapes. No prep work. Even pulling them off the vine is optional.
A couple of videos showing these tips in action. We post school lunch videos all the time on our youtube channel - OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL- keep updated by subscribing.
The first day back to school is always full of excitement. The night before we are getting lunches packed up - a little rusty from the long summer months of non-school, but, always eager to get back into the swing of it. This is the time I get all sentimental and look back at old videos...
I love looking back at what we did over the years. I fondly look back at the container systems, snippets of the kids when they were little...I also love rediscovering meals, tips, snacks, that I've forgotten about.
First Day 2015 - We had BUILT lunchbags back then. The soft bag we could pile all of our containers into. Man, they worked great. I wonder where they are now?
Items to note:
Homemade corndogs (in muffin shape). The kids loved those things.
Blueberry flax muffins. Healthy, delicious, and heavy (as in filling).
Burrito cups. Like a taco cup but with refried beans instead of taco meat.
First Day 2016 - I was very concerned about bread getting soggy. The kids kept asking for the same meals over and over...repeating chicken burgers, repeating pitas!
Reminder to myself:
Homemade frozen burritos. Cheap, easy, delicious, and can be made ahead of time and frozen.
Make making lunches a festive event with music - www.radionomy.com/80sthrowbackparty
First Day 2017 - We had fancy new lunch boxes. Go Green Lunchboxes. This was also the first day of kindergarten for Oskie. I love that we went over what he should eat (not the cookies first!).
Do your kids like tacos? I'm willing to bet they do. It seems to me that 95% of kids LOVE tacos. So, let's send tacos in their lunch. To make a tasty taco meal that travels in lunchboxes here is a recipe we call Taco Cups. It works best, and saves time, if you have tacos for dinner the night before. 1) Use those very small tortillas and press them into a muffin pan to form a cup shape. If you only have big tortillas just cut out a circle - about the size of a mason jar lid - you can even use a mason jar lid. I have. 2) Throw the muffin pan in the oven at 350 for 10 mins. The tortilla will crisp up and keep its cup shape. This is essential since it will hold in the yummy taco filling! 3) Fill the cup with leftover taco meat and add a sprinkle of cheese.
4) You can send a dollop of sour cream or some avocado in a small container on the side. Here are a couple of our school lunch video showing The Taco Cup:
The long "How-To" video:
A very quick tutorial (sans narrative) on how to make Taco Cups:
In this video I show how great it is to throw Taco Cups into the bento boxes / lunch boxes.
Taco Cups is a favourite with my kids. They ask for it all the time. Every other parent I know that has tried the taco cups have all said the same thing, 'they love them'. I hope this helps you pack up some great school lunches this year. It's a hard task doing it day in and day out, but, keep truckin'. I find it very interesting to see what other parents pack in their children's lunch boxes. I've spent far too much time watching Youtube videos of other lunch packers putting everything from organic-vegan-wraps to extreme-processed-packaged filled lunches and still find myself interested in the next video. Here are a few in case you are interested... Here is a cute healthy lunch featuring food with google eyes. I think the accessories you can add to food make lunches look so fun.
Don't be intimidated there are plenty of good solid lunches like this next one, showing simple foods, a packaged food or two, all in an inexpensive ziplock container system.
Then there is this parody I made - it is Tasty with a capital T ... and all the other lunch buzz words like Bento-Box, Organical, Protein Friendly, Glutton Free. I cut up a mango too!
Finding that balance of good quality nutritious food and 'junk' is tricky.
Go into any classroom and you will see a variety of lunches - from one extreme (junky): lunchables and a pop To the other extreme (hippy-dippy): a free range hard boiled egg in the shape of a hello kitty on a bed of organic kale. We try to meet in the middle. I have a little fun with the extremes in this video - from 'would your grandparents recognize the food' to POGOs!
I really think you can't go wrong with my strategy: A foundation heavy on the fruits and vegetables. A sprinkling of things considered unhealthy, processed, sugared, nitrate-ized....this strategy works well, even on that day when you say, 'we need to do groceries'. You can use what you have. That's what I do in this video:
We all have time constraints, energy limits, budgets, picky eaters...it's the classic economics question - marginal gain per unit of energy put into a task. How much time and effort do you need to put into a lunch to make it just healthy, tasty, and cheap enough? Hopefully this last video will inspire you to do the least amount possible...with the most reward. AKA - easy to make lunches that are tasty and healthy:
WE'VE HAD A FEW LUNCH CONTAINER SYSTEMS OVER THE YEARS
The foundation for a good school lunch starts, not with food, but, with the containers you send the food in.
Wow, what a good quote I just made up!
Over the years we have had a variety of lunchboxes and for the most part they have all done the job well.
Classic metal box lunch system - apparently not cool for the grade 3 crowd
We started out with a Lock & Lock system. It is an ideal size, with removable compartments that allow a lot of flexibility - the container can hold a sandwich one day and the next day can be transformed into four small containers of [insert food such as chickpeas, chicken, tomatoes, lettuce].
These containers are durable - we have been using them consistently for eight years and they are still in mint condition.
Here is a video showing the lock and lock system and how we used it:
Last year we were given a premium lunchbox - A GOGREEN LUNCHBOX - to try out. We teamed up with FENIGO.COM who gave us the lunch containers to review.
The Gogreen is a big container split into different compartments - I think calling it a Bento Box would be fitting. It holds a ton of food (great, for our giant eaters) and it keeps everything in...as in no leaks, even with wet foods!
The Roots Lunchbox from Costco was what Elliott used for his lunches most of last year. He did not like the big Gogreen box ... and I have a feeling taking a giant green lunchbox out of his backpack somehow embarrassed him. So, we bought him a 'generic' lunchbox - the ROOTS one from costco.
There are many other ad hoc containers we use - tupperware, ziplock, sistema. Most of these were smaller containers used for specific purposes like holding sauces, dips, yogurt.
Tupperware snack containers - still going after 10 years
Kids love dip for veggies. Great for ketchup, sour cream, tartar sauce (maybe?)
You might be surprised to learn that we found some of these at the dollar store. Including this very useful yogurt container that keeps yogurt and granola (toppings) separated.
Rubbermaid yogurt container / separator
To see this container in action, here is a little video for you. Be prepared to laugh.
Our oldest turned 12 (already!) and requested a cactus themed birthday party. Jen came up with some great ideas, found some awesome cactus decor, and hand made a few items.
Cactus hugs leave a mark
Apparently, cactus and holographic go together like peas and carrots. Therefore, cactus shaped holographic cupcake toppers are a go:
Holographic paper in cactus shapes - a hit!
And old pot, some pebbles, and a sink-scrubbing-sponge cut into the shape of a cactus make an ideal centrepiece for the party's table.
Cactus - scrubbing sponge style
Michael's is on trend with cactus shaped cups. Fill with 'catus juice' (aka lemonade) and thrill the tastebuds of your party goers.
Cactus shaped cups
If you have some skills in the baking department then sugar cookies - cactus shaped of course - are the way to go. Green icing and some spikes to top them off. Watch your tongue!
Cactus cookies with spikes!
Loot bags are easy with this theme, and can potentially last a lifetime. Real cacti are inexpensive and they really wow guests. It's like giving a pet - a totally unexpected surprise!
Give plants. The gift that keeps growing.
The party took place at the darkly named Boiler Room. No, there was no boiling going on, but, there was some hardcore rock climbing.
The
Food and Nutrition Committee of the Place Under The Pine has put
together a series of videos documenting the School Lunch program. The
general policy around food in the PUTP has always been focused on
moderation, variation, and holistic nutrition. The school lunch program
has tried to incorporate these values, but, there are challenges.
Finding the right container system is a challenge. The citizens of the PUTP have big appetites, and therefore, need big containers. Starting this school year, the lunch program began using a bento box style container - the GoGreen Lunchbox. The compartment system made it very easy to divide and conquer. The deep compartments also allowed for plenty of food to be packed away. Having only one box kept it simple.
Leftovers have been incorporated into lunches more often this year. There are plenty of benefits to leftovers - They are already made. They add variety to lunch. They are often healthy as well.
With three little citizens now requiring lunches daily, a production system to put everything together needs to be efficient. Watch the lunch making process in action.
There is also a need to ensure the food that is sent is enjoyed by the young citizens. That the correct amount of food is being sent. And, feedback documented and future lunches adjusted accordingly.
Research into improving lunches is a never ending task. There are plenty of resources on the web to inspire you. The PUTP has put together a youtube playlist of various school lunch ideas - everything from rainbow bread sandwiches to shaped cheese. Click the LINK to watch some of the best youtube school lunch ideas.
PREVIOUS SCHOOL LUNCH IDEAS VIDEO SERIES - CLICK HERE
The Food and Nutrition Committee of the Place Under The Pine has put together a series of videos documenting the School Lunch program. The general policy around food in the PUTP has always been focused on moderation, variation, and holistic nutrition. The school lunch program has tried to incorporate these values, but, there are challenges.
There is the added constraints of time. The ideal time to prepare food would be immediately before consuming it, however, that is not possible with school lunches. One option is to prepare on the morning before school - which is, for lack of a better word - a hot mess. Another option is the night before. The PUTP has found preparing lunches the night before school is the best compromise. However, there are times when even the night before is not ideal - when extra curriculars end late, when school projects are due the next day, or when lunch makers are just tired out after a long day.
There are also container constraints - size and shape. And, further, many food options cannot even be considered due to lack of refridgeration, and no cooking/heating equipment.
School Lunches are definitely a challenge.
After making thousands of lunches over the years the PUTP has developed a system that works well. Everything from timing, containers, and a customized repetoire of recipes that 'work' are the result of these thousand of 'experiments'. The PUTP took a leap earlier this year and made a few 'how to' or 'how we do' style videos in an attempt to help other parents take school lunches to the next level.
Analysis of the videos have shown the ups and downs that come along with the daily grind of making school lunches. There are periods when healthy, almost overzelous, lunches prevail. And, there are times when the quality is, let's be nice and say, less than stellar. But, as with the rest of life; there are good times and bad times.
Presenting the School Lunch Program video series:
The First Week Video - healthy lunches and improving with tinfoil.
Use Your Melon - Everything from classics like tuna salad to exotic fruits like mango!
Have Fun With Your Food - The process of making lunches can be an 'enjoyable' chore.
Healthy AND Realistic - A great mix showing some great lunches and busy night lunches (featuring things like Pogos)
Valentines Day and More - A Themed lunch for valentines day involves lots of heart shaped food.
The PUTP does not claim to be the original, be all end all, or pinnacle of school lunch videos, we play one small part. There are many similar videos on Youtube that share a different view, different food, different container system, etc. They are worth looking into - especially for those who are just starting the monumental task of making thousands of lunches in the upcoming years.
Here are a few recommended sites that the PUTP often views:
Not far away from the Place Under The Pines is this wonderful place called Prince Edward County. PEC (for short) is an agricultural wonderland filled with apple orchards, grape vines, wineries, pumpkin patches, maple syrup bushes, and berry farms. Earlier this summer the citizens of the PUTP visited PEC and visited the U-Pick blueberry field.
If you haven't watched our adventures in The County here is your chance -
It was these blueberries that caught the attention of the PUTP citizens. Like most produce when you eat it right off the plant it is delicious and flavourful and usually there is no comparison to what you get at the grocery store. This is the case with blueberries, but, to even greater extreme. The blueberries were out of this world flavourful. On a scale of 1 to 10 they easily hit an 11...maybe an 11.5!!!
This experience solidified the idea of planting blueberry bushes in the Place Under The Pine. The idea has been floating around for years, but, never prioritized until now. Expect to see a row of bushes come next spring.
The kitchen was bustling with activity. A small mountain of cucumbers, peeled garlic cloves, the smell of dill in the air, and a simmering pot of a mysterious vinegar mixture was all the evidence one would need to know that it was PICKLING TIME!
This would be the first batch of pickles ever made in the Place Under The Pine.
Everything seemed to be in order - dill & garlic were placed into a jar.
Then cucumbers crammed in.
The special mixture of vinegar, salt, and secret ingredients was added and the jars were given a hot bath to seal them shut.
The end product looks amazing, the process smelled amazing, therefore, they should be amazing pickles. Only time will tell - three weeks to be exact.
A HOT DIP THAT NEEDS TO BE IN YOUR RECIPE COLLECTION - BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP
The citizens of the Place Under the Pine have been in hibernation mode lately - due to the fact that it is winter. The cold weather, the dark nights, and the hours spent in front of the laptop watching Youtube (did you know that This Old House has 100's of videos on there now?!) are just some of the reasons the Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip has been made many times over the past couple of months. As one citizens says, 'it makes an ideal late night snack'.
It could be just what the body is looking for on a winter's night - it's hot, it's flavourful, and it is full of calories (aka the energy to keep you warm). It is a great way to use up any extra chicken you have as well.
Ingredients
1-2 chicken breasts
1 block of cream cheese (do not skimp with low fat)
1/2 cup Blue Cheese dressing or if you are out of that Ranch dressing will work (again, do not skimp with low fat dressing)
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup + 'a splash' of Red Hot sauce
Leftover chicken chopped up. Cream cheese added
The PC Blue Cheese is our dressing of choice
Cheddar cheese is recommended
Remember to add an extra 'splash' of Red Hot after the 1/4 cup is measured
Now blend!
Throw this in the oven at 350 for about half an hour. When it is bubbling around the outside and it has turned a toasted-orange colour (if it were a paint chip it would be called Tuscan Sunset) it is done. You will notice I did not post a picture of it - it is not very photogenic. So, do not judge this dip by its look.
Serve with nachos, baked pita chips, carrots...even Triscuits will do in a pinch. You should have left overs, no judging if you don't, that can be put in the fridge and reheated in the microwave the next day. Happy eating.
