This time of the year can be very busy. For some it is a relief to send our kids back to school, and for others it becomes troublesome. The hard part of buying back to school supplies is over. Now it is time to think of all that we have to worry about for the rest of the school year. Here are some tips to help you get through the school year answering the “what’s for lunch”.
Planning
Planning what is for lunch will help you when you are going to the store.
- Create a menu. The schools create a menu a month at a time. Creating a menu can help you when it comes to shopping. Make at least a two week list ahead of time. Creating a menu will help to ensure that you provide for each of the nutritional needs of your family members.
- Don’t Get Bored. It helps to keep the lunches changing. Keeping the lunch menu changing add a few different options for each food category. This can help you not can complaining children about school lunches.
- Grocery List. A grocery list will help to ensure that you get everything you will need on your menu. A list ensures that you will only get what your kids will eat. No matter what is on sale.
Bulk and Sales
Whenever you plan on going shopping, it is important to look at your budget. When you begin to buy things for school lunches, you will find the need to purchase things smartly. This means finding sales for the things that you use often. Even purchasing them in bulk if that is cheaper.
- Sales – look for sales available through coupons in newspapers. Another place to look for sales is online through computer websites.
- Remember Low Cost Foods – There are many different foods that you can use to keep costs of packing lunches down. For example, hard boiled eggs, tuna, frozen fruits, peanut butter and even beans.
- Bulk – Shopping in bulk can help make the foods stretch a little further, as well as cost a little less in the long run.
ReUsable Items
It can be important for a person to purchase reusable containers. Some of these products might not be environmentally friendly, however you might get the most use out of them. However, now a days there are almost environmentally safe items of almost all reusable items.
- Lunchboxes need to be good quality have good insulation, and several compartments if possible.
- Instead of ice packs refill water bottles and freeze them. Homemade ice pack.
- Use reusable snack bags and even utensils.
Preparation
Preparation is important when it comes to saving the early morning rush. When you purchase things in bulk it can require some separating in order to make the quantity manageable for lunches. Section out the bulk items you purchased into small snack size amounts. Cut up your fruits and veggies. Put individual portions into their separate containers. This is also a good thing to do for any crackers, or cookies that you might offer them as a snack or part of their lunches.
After snack prep is done, it is time to think about cooking things that will offer you a head start on the meals for the next week. Think about making large batches of easy foods and freezing them for use throughout the week.
Another option, is to use left-over meats for sandwiches over the week. You can combine meat and cheeses and wrap separately so that you can just pick up a portion to make a sandwich whenever you are ready.
Whenever you begin to get overwhelmed in the mornings it might be a good idea to step back and begin planning again. It is something that needs to be diligently thought about, as time goes we can sometimes let it slide, and then get overwhelmed. Use these steps to prevent stressful mornings.
