Take the stress out of school lunch planning with these cute and easy school lunch ideas for tired moms!
Now that the kids have been back at school for a while, I’m guessing you’re a little tired. Am I right my friends? I feel you. We are all beat! Getting creative with a new lunch five times a week, for the rest of the school year, sounds beyond daunting. Well, never fear. I am here to make things easier for you. We’re tired moms for a reason. Life is B-U-S-Y. Use this school lunch ideas for tired moms post as a blueprint for creative, tasty school lunch ideas that you don’t have to think about!
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Creative School Lunches
Sandwiches
Don’t discount this lunchbox classic. Sometimes a kid just wants a plain old peanut butter or turkey sandwich. Not my kid, who likes neither bread or peanut butter, but most! Indulge them. Keep things interesting by adding special jams or cheeses. Make sure you store veggies or other moist foods in a separate container. Your child can then add the separated items to their sandwich before eating it. Goodbye soggy sandwiches! If your child is like mine and doesn’t like a traditional sandwich, they might enjoy a deconstructed one!
Salads
I introduced salad to my son early on and now he loves it! I experiment with different types of greens like butter lettuce and arugula and I top them with everything from chickpeas to sunflower seeds. I also send his dressing, again, in a separate container. There are plenty of salad storage containers that have special compartments for each part of the salad. They even make tiny little bottles for the dressing. How cute [and functional] is that?
Soup
Soup is going to be in my son’s lunches more and more as the weather cools down. Stock up on thermoses and air tight containers to keep it hot and your kids will rave about how your soup warms them up on a chilly fall day. Plus, it’s a great way to get some extra vegetables into their lunch. I load my homemade chicken noodle soup up with plenty of veggies! A big pot will last for a few lunches. Then I just mix up the items I pack with the soup.
Pasta
Pasta might not be top of mind when you’re planning school lunches, but it’s a great option! It’s the perfect way to use up leftover pasta from last night’s dinner. You can also cook a bunch of plain pasta and add various types of vegetables and sauces to make different pasta options throughout the week. One of my favorite combos is bow tie noodles paired with green peas and parmesan. Yum! Or you could go the shells route. My son will eat anything that shape.
Bento Boxes
Bento Boxes have become more and more popular in recent years and they’re a chance to really let your creativity shine with minimal effort. We use leak-proof Bento boxes from Bizz NYC. They make packing lunch so easy for this tired mom! You could use a variety of boxes in different sizes to create your own or just make things easy on yourself and buy a bento box. With a little extra effort you can have fun making food in the shapes of things like animals and flowers. I love following Little Lunch Love on Instagram for bento box inspiration!
See? Coming up with fun new ideas for the lunchbox doesn’t have to be stressful. These school lunch ideas for tired moms should help get you through at least until the holidays. You’ve got this! And, remember, we’re all in this together!
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