Back to School Lunchbox Hacks

Anyone can become a lunch packing pro with just a little planning and organization. This lunch strategy will save you time and money, while making mornings a breeze: 

 

1. Map out the week. Before grocery shopping, consider how many meals & snacks you’ll be prepping for. Include lunches, after-school activities, appointments, etc.

 

2. Prep ahead! Immediately after grocery shopping, wash, dry, and chop produce. Store them away in the fridge for easy grabbing during the week.

 

3. Pack the night before. Start with dinner leftovers and go from there. Add in a colorful array of fruits and veggies, pack your dips and dressings into Dippers and pop your box in the fridge. Just add crackers, chips, and other dry snacks in the morning.

 

4. Bulk bake. Use our Baking Trays to prep both sweet and savory lunchbox bars that you can freeze and pop right into your lunchbox when you’re short on time.

 

5. Photograph your lunches. Keep track of which ones your kiddos loved for repeat use.

 

6. Keep a designated lunch packing station. Storing your lunchboxes, Dippers, pods, bags, and magnets in one place takes one extra step out of the morning rush and encourages the kids to get involved too.

 

7. Shape it up!  Add cookie cutters of all shapes and sizes or a wavy chopper to your lunch cabinet to keep lunches interesting everyday. 

 

8. Dress it up! Kids are likely to try a new veggie when accompanied by their favorite dressings and dips.

 

9. Switch up the bread. Sliced bread can get boring. Try rolls, bagels, wraps, sandwich kebabs, and sushi sandwiches to change up the presentation.

 

10. Stock up on items that don’t need cutting. When you’re short on time, you can fill the gaps with berries, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, grapes, cherries, clementines, persian cucumbers, sugar snap peas, etc.

 

11. DIY trail mix. Keep a variety of nuts, dried fruits, pretzels, and cereals  in your pantry for mixing and matching.

 

12. Keep easy proteins on hand. Use an already made rotisserie chicken or hard boiled eggs to add protein and bulk up all types of salads and sandwiches.

 

13. No more browning. Sprinkle lemon juice on avocado or soak apple slices in a combination of orange and lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Cut a banana to the size of the compartment, but keep the peel on.

 

14. Create theme days. Choose a color, shape, a specific ingredient, or favorite hobby to help narrow down what’s for lunch.

 

15. Snackle boxes are as good a lunch as any. When in doubt, pressed for time, or you just didn’t have time to get to the grocery store, don’t be so hard on yourself. Packing a random mix of proteins, veggies, and fruits to create a charcuterie of sorts can be more fun and nutritious than a conventional meal.