Serious question: How many days in a row can you send the same uneaten pbj sandwich in your kid's lunchbox?
Yeah the school-lunch struggle is real.
You could go full-on Pinterest and cut stuff into cute shapes and create landscapes with veggies but that's hard to maintain every day.
You can keep it interesting by packing the lunches in fun containers. We love bento boxes. They're a great way to test new things. And, the kids can help put them together easily, which means they'll be more likely to eat it.
Pro tip: Don't feel like you have to pack a huge lunch. Kids are anxious to go play, so will often only eat a few bites of each item. Best to make the items you do pack count.
We got some ideas for you from other moms for days when the classic pbj or ham and cheese sandwich just won't do.
We'll do this periodically throughout the school year.
P.S. Help other mamas out. If you have ideas, snap your Insta-worthy lunchboxes and tag them with #thisistucson.
A simple lunch of turkey and cheese rollups, grapes and Goldfish crackers is great for kids that don't like all the frills. Sneak veggies into turkey rollups. Fellow moms recommend thinly sliced cucumber or dark green lettuce.
Turkey and cheese roll-ups (or ham, chicken or roast beef)
Alexandra Yarborough, a mother of two, makes these for her children, who she says are picky eaters. But if they'd eat it, she says thinly sliced cucumber and lettuce would be great add-ons.
Ingredients: Lunchmeat of your choice, sliced cheese
How to: Lay turkey slice on counter, put cheese on top then roll it up like a taquito. Slice it to make four or five bite size pieces or leave long. Pack in plastic container. (Note: Use an ice pack)
Sides: Grapes, Goldfish crackers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Money saver: If you have a VIP club card at Fry's, you'll get coupons in the mail. Sometimes those include free packaged lunch meat or dollars off of deli purchases.
If your kids prefer snacks to traditional meals, a finger food approach is great for their school lunch box. Any foods will work. Add some peanut butter for more protein or switch out different veggies and fruits.
Finger foods
"My kids love finger foods," says Aimee Cronenberg, mother of two.
So, she keeps it simple with leftover pasta, veggies, fruit and cheese. She likes to pack it in a BentGo bento box, which she say is airtight, "so you can put dip in there and not worry about it spilling."
Ingredients: Cheese, crackers or pretzel chips, apple slices, orange wedges or grapes and sugar snap peas
Optional add-ons: Hummus, Greek yogurt dip
How to: Arrange foods in bento box
Money saver: Buy fruits that are in-season. Three pound bags of tangerines are $3.99 at Fry's right now.
All the parts to a pasta salad packed in a bento box gives the kids a chance to put their own meal together. They can eat it all separately or mix it up. Include a side of Italian dressing (or ranch, if they like it better) and utensils. For vegetarians, swap out the pepperoni for tofu.
Pasta salad
Pasta salads are a great option because they include all of the food groups, making it a one-dish lunch.
Ingredients: Pasta (we like whole wheat), tomatoes, sliced carrots and celery, cheese (optional) and meat (we used pepperoni) or tofu, Italian dressing.
How-to: Cook pasta, chop veggies, meat or tofu and cheese and mix in a bowl with Italian dressing. Pack in a bowl and make sure to include an ice pack. Better yet, put all the stuff in separate containers so the kids can put it together or eat it separately at lunch.
Prep-time: 20-25 minutes. Best to prep this one the night before.
Pro tip: This is a super flexible option. You can put anything in it, so you can customize it to your kids' taste. Feel free to experiment. Include a side of Italian dressing. Don't forget utensils.
Tuna or chicken salad with pretzel chips, crackers, bread or a tortilla with a side of grapes and pickle spears is a well-rounded lunch option.
Tuna or chicken salad and crackers
This idea comes from Marla Bazzanella, a mother of one. She also recommends egg salad and crackers. To keep it cool, she freezes her juice boxes.
Ingredients: Tuna or chicken, mayonnaise, celery, carrots, red bell pepper and crackers or pretzel chips.
How-to: Finely chop carrots, red bell pepper and celery. Put in a bowl with chicken or tuna and a little mayo (about two teaspoons) and a dash of salt and pepper. Mix well. Pack in a little tupperware bowl or bento box. Include crackers, pita, tortilla or bread in a separate container for the kids to spread it on at lunch time.
Pack with apple slices, oranges or grapes and a pickle spear.
Pro tip: Be sure and pack utensils for spreading
A bento box packed with veggies, fruit, pretzel chips and hummus is a good lunch option. If they don't like hummus, try peanut butter, ranch or yogurt. You can also swap pretzel chips for pita bread, tortilla or crackers.
Hummus with anything
Rachel Dawkins, a mother of four, likes the finger food with hummus approach for her kids' lunches. An alternative dip option is making dip from plain Greek yogurt for added protein and tastiness.
"We try to find a way to have high protein or to make a 'complete protein,'" she says. "They also have food sensitivities, so it helps to be able to have options."
Ingredients: Hummus, pretzel chips or pita chips, grape tomatoes, celery sticks, carrots, red bell peppers, cucumbers and strawberries, apples or grapes.
How-to: Cut up veggies and pack in a bento box or individual baggies or plastic containers.
