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It’s that time of year again. Many parents are already shuffling their kids to the bus stop while my school district doesn’t start up again until after Labor Day. Now that my kid has graduated, I don’t miss those days.
Since transitioning out of the standard American diet, lunch has been the biggest struggle for me personally. I know it has to be especially hard for parents preparing kids’ lunches. While I don’t have a kid in school anymore, I can give you some ideas that have worked for me and that might work for you.
Tip #1: Don’t let perfect become the enemy of good.
I’m not sure who actually said that, but it’s good advice for a lot of things. Give yourself and your kids some grace. There will be things you pack that come back uneaten. Your kids might share lunch food with another classmate. There isn’t much you can do about that so, unless your kid has a life-threatening allergy, pick your battles. Over time, their palate will change and you may find they eat more of the healthy stuff in their lunch box.
The same goes for you. Your palate will also change the more you eat vegetables and fruits. Keep making the effort, and it will eventually pay off.
Tip #2: Mix it up.
No one wants to eat the same exact thing every day. If that would make you crazy, imagine how your kids feel. Give them variety and options in their meals and do the same for yourself.
For those of us adults adjusting to packing lunches, check out the menus of the restaurants near where you work so you know what your options are and can order what you want without too much fuss if you need to eat out one day or forget to pack a lunch.
Stock up on snacks and emergency proteins to pull out in a pinch. I keep packets of tuna, tins of mackerel in piri piri sauce, packets of almond butter, Epic Provisions meat sticks and the like at my desk so I have options if I just need something different or I find I’m working late unexpectedly.
Tip #3: Leftovers are your friend.
Trust me. While the kids may not have access to a microwave, most adults do at their workplace. Cook with leftovers in mind. Make an extra big meal one night so you can get one or two lunches out of it that week. Go ahead and portion out your lunches as you clean up dinner. Future You will thank you.
The kids don’t have to be left out of the warm food lunch either. Many dishes will stay warm in a thermos until lunch. I’ve had great success with Thermos brand, and you can easily pick them up on Amazon. You can pack spaghetti squash with meat sauce, beef stew with a gluten-free roll or biscuit on the side, or soup.
Some leftovers can be repurposed into cold lunches. Roasted chicken, pork, or beef can be recycled into lettuce wraps or gluten-free sandwiches or just eaten on their own.
Tip #4: Equipment matters.
Get a lunch bag that will fit the containers you choose to use. I prefer to bring my leftovers in glass containers. I like an extra big bag because sometimes my job requires I work later than usual. I bring an extra meal on those days so I am prepared.
If you choose to use glass containers, I recommend picking up an extra set of hot pads to keep in your bag or at your desk. Glass gets hot in the microwave, and your sleeves or shirt will only block so much heat. This set of glass containers even has a compartment for silverware.
There are several brands of lunch boxes that seem to be popular right now, Lunch Bots, Planet Box.
I tried the Lunch Bots small containers for my salad dressing, but my batch weren’t as liquid tight as I needed them to be as evidenced by the mayo that splashed all over my shirt and my desk cube one day. I ended up going back to the small Tupperware containers for salad dressings and using my bigger Lunch Bot divided container for salad fixings on days when I plan to have a cold lunch. See Tip #1 if you plan to judge me for using plastic.
As I said above, I’ve had great success with Thermos brand containers for things like soup and broth. I actually have to watch how hot I get the broth before I fill the Thermos as it stays hot all day. Warm your food up just a little hotter than you want it to be when you eat it.
I do not have a Planet Box so I can’t comment on their equipment. I'm sure there are other types of lunch boxes that are good as well.
Tip #5: Use your resources.
If your company has a nice cafeteria where you can cobble together a salad or a lettuce wrap instead of a sandwich, by all means, take advantage of the options available to you. Even when I pack leftovers, I often head to the salad bar to pick up a small salad or something to add to my plate. Often if I ask questions, the cafeteria workers will help me find a combination that works for me. Example: Carnitas can be served as lettuce wraps instead of in flour tortillas or as a salad.
If your kid’s school has a few items on the menu that might work for you, consider buying lunch those days to give yourself a break. High school students often have access to a salad bar. There are ways to make what you have available work for you if you think creatively.
