It’s here: Back-to-school time. That means early mornings, homework, after school programming and packing lunches…day in and day out! We used to dread packing lunch. Never knowing what to pack and standing in front of an open fridge waiting for something to jump out at me! Have you been there? This year, we have found a way to make packing school lunches easy! A dream come true for all parents out there!
Packing lunches made easy with Bento Boxes
This year, I have opted to go the Bento Box route. I have heard for years now that they are all the rage and that they will save your life making packing lunch super easy, however, I have not jumped on board until now. While I appreciate that it is designed in a convenient and compact way, I still find that the issue exists with what to pack and how to get your kids to eat it all! That’s where the bento box planner comes in handy! As they say with everything, planning ahead makes the world go round! We all know how crazy the mornings can be so planning ahead makes everything that much easier, let alone the whole week!
Where to begin
Before the week begins, we sit down with the bento box planner, one for each kid. Then we dive into the week ahead. The planner is divided by food group which is great for a few reasons. It’s important to me that my kids learn about the food groups and understand that they can’t only eat snacks! With that said, my younger on is a bit tricker when it comes to the main course. The planner allows me to ensure that she is getting food in all the food groups even if she chooses to have eggs as a “snack”. I mark down the eggs in the protein section on the planner and feel confident in her lunch choice. We go through each section: protein, veggies, fruits, grains and dairy. Both of the kids choose what they would like for the whole week ahead which sets everyone up for success!
Holding ourselves accountable
Accountability is another big piece. I am always talking my kids about being accountable for their belongings and accountable for the choices they make. To help them remain accountable for their lunch and bento box, they are each starting the year with personalized items. Each child chose their favorite color and added the personalization of their choose from Stuck On You. I love that both the bag and the box are personalized so that it all comes home together.
The next accountability piece comes into play during the day when they make their snack choices at school. When making lunch, we discuss what to eat and when. We lean towards healthier snacks in the morning, like fruits, veggies and dairy and leaving the grains, if they are something like cookies or a muffin, for the afternoon. If their lunch comes home uneaten, then we have a conversation about the choices they made when filling out the bento box planner so that we can better plan for success!
The kids are the only ones who are being held accountable, I am too! Planning lunches ahead of time along with the kids keeps me accountable when it comes to grocery shopping! The planner has a space for me to write out the grocery list so that I buy just what we need…nothing more and nothing less!
Growing up fast!
With the First day of school just around the corner, we are all excited to master lunch making this year! The kids are already asking me if they can use their lunch boxes and eagerly awaiting to show off their cool new items to their friends at school!
