School Lunch Reboot!

I am used to packing 3 lunches a few days a week but now I am definitely packing two lunches every day for my boys since G started Kindergarten this year! (and no, my kids do NOT eat the school “hot” lunch, by their own choice, which is fine withe me.)

In years past I used a “throw-away” bento-style dish set that I had purchased for G’s pre-school lunches.  And last year when K started, I searched for the same thing because I liked it so much,  but that big baby retail store* no longer carried the same design.

(*big baby retail store means it’s a big store for baby stuff {you know the one}, not that it sells big babies, just to clarify)
Moving on…

Anyway…  G has now graduated to a “big boy” lunch bag and because he’s not as picky as my 3rd-grader, his lunches are pretty fun to pack.

I use two different lunch bags that I got from Target.  One boy loves green.  The other loves blue.  I’ve always kept this color system for the kids.  K will probably have a pink lunch bag eventually.

My children eat a lot of the same things so I know what to stock in my fridge and pantry.

*Fresh fruit – strawberries, blueberries, grapes, bananas and apples. (B takes an apple almost every day).

*Snacks – goldfish, wheat pretzels, granola bars, light popcorn

*Fresh veggies – baby carrots, sugar snap peas, red/orange bell pepper strips

*Sandwiches – wheat bread, cashew or almond butter (my kids cannot have peanut butter at their school), turkey, ham, sliced cheese

*Treats – fruit leathers, various cookies, fig bars

*Other – yogurt, apple sauce, cheese sticks/cubes

*Drinks – water or low sugar juice box (I try to alternate)

I do like to pack my kids’ lunches semi-bento style even though I do not own any true bento boxes.  I also like to pack them in the morning because I personally feel they are more fresh once they get to school.

I adore these silicone cupcake liners because they take whatever shape you need them to in the box you are packing and they can hold anything from goldfish to cheese cubes to blueberries.  And they are reusable!

I actually think packing lunches is pretty fun.  I know, I’m weird.  But I know that overall it is much healthier for my kids to eat what I pack versus what they serve in the school cafeteria so… (although one day a week wouldn’t be that bad… ahem…)

Here is one particular thing all of my kids LOVE.

Granola bars!

I found this great recipe for making your own (a.k.a sans preservatives and extra junk!) and thought I would share.

(I even like them. Too much, in fact!)

Ingredients:

* 1/2 c honey or corn syrup (I used local honey)

* 1/2 c brown sugar

*1/2 cup nut butter (I used cashew butter since my kids cannot have PB at their school)

* 2 c. quick oats

*2 cups rice cereal (I used crushed up rice chex but rice crispies work too!)

*1/4 c flax seed meal

*1 c. total mixins – such as raisins, craisins, chocolate chips (I used 1/2 raisins, 1/2 mini choc. chips)

Directions:

In saucepan mix honey and brown sugar over medium heat until sugar dissolved, stirring a few times.

Remove from heat and quickly mix in nut butter.  Let cool a bit.

Meanwhile, mix oats, cereal and flax seed in large bowl together.

Pour dry ingredients into honey and nut butter mixture and mix well.

Add chosen mix-ins.

Press mixture into a 9X13 pan sprayed with cooking spray or lined with wax paper.

Let cool and firm up (I put mine in the fridge for about an hour).

Then cut into desired size of bars and store in air-tight container in fridge.

Recipe adapted from HERE.

These are really tasty and also the first ones I’ve made that actually stay together.  Plus! You don’t have to bake them at all – YAY!

I hope your kids (and possibly you) enjoy them and have fun packing your kiddos’ lunches!

P.S. If you have not already please visit my cohorts in jazzing up your school lunches, Sharon, Angie, Nicole and Amanda!  They all have some great tips and fabulous recipes!