Packing lunch every single day feels like a job nobody asked for. Between the morning chaos of lost shoes, breakfast negotiations and getting yourself ready (without weird stains on your clothes), making lunch can feel like an impossible task on your already long to-do list. That’s why we’ve compiled these lunch hacks! Try these shortcuts so that you can have a few minutes of sanity back in your day.
Get Ahead of Lunch Time
One of the best, not-so-secret hacks is to prep beforehand whenever possible. Doing a little bit of work when you have the bandwidth will make future you real happy.
Prepare the night before. If you've got fridge space, pack the whole lunchbox after dinner and stash it in the fridge overnight. No space? Prep the perishables so you can grab-and-go in the morning when you're running on the idea of sleep and coffee.
Slice up produce. Prep fruits and veggies in advance.
- Wash, chop and portion everything in snack bags or containers.
- Use cookie cutters to make shapes that'll actually get eaten. A star-shaped watermelon slice just hits different.
- Stop apple slices from browning by soaking them in cold water for a few minutes, or in a lemon-water bath (1 tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup water). You can also rubber band the slices back into an apple shape or wrap them up in plastic wrap.
- Keep banana slices fresh by dipping them in lemon juice or a honey-water mix (1 tablespoon honey to 1 cup water). This method cannot be used for babies under 12 months.
- Batch prepare other food. Besides pre-slicing things like fruit, veg and cheese, you can also batch-prep things like tuna or chicken salad, muffins, egg bites and pancakes. Muffins, egg bites and pancakes can be frozen so your hard work lasts longer!
- Create a lunch station. Dedicate bins in your fridge and pantry for lunch items like string cheese, yogurt pouches, granola bars or crackers. Bonus points if you put them at kid height so they can help pack their own lunch or at least grab their own snacks without asking you every five minutes.
- Embrace convenience. Pre-packed foods are a huge time saver. Think individual containers of nut butter, hummus cups, baggies of baby carrots or apples, small packages of crackers, seaweed snack packs or Costco rotisserie chicken. Another option is meal delivery services like Little Spoon. Their nutritious kids meals, snacks and pouches are made fresh weekly and delivered right to your door.
- Don’t overpack. Little kids have little appetites (except during growth spurts when they suddenly eat like teenagers). An overpacked lunch can be overwhelming and end up mostly uneaten.
Lunch Ideas
If you’re tired of packing the same sandwich every day, try some of these ideas!
- Roll-ups. Flatten sandwich bread or use a tortilla. Then add whatever your child likes: lunch meat and cheese, hummus and veggies, PB&J, cream cheese and fruit or Nutella and bananas.
- Hot lunch. Use a thermos to pack chicken nuggets, pasta, stir fry, rice or anything else hot. To keep their food warmer longer, add boiling water to the thermos, set the lid on it and wait at least five minutes before dumping out the water and adding in your food.
- Cold lunch. Use a thermos to pack cold food like yogurt parfaits (pack the granola separately), smoothies or salad. You can pre-freeze the thermos to help keep it colder.
- DIY Lunchables. These are always a hit, and you can make them however you want. Cheese and crackers, mini pizzas, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, pita chips, olives. It’s like girl dinner for kids.
- Make Your Own Uncrustables. Make your own version of these crustless sandwiches with a sandwich cutter and sealer. There are lots of options online, but you can also do it with a round cookie cutter and a fork to seal the edges. Fill them and freeze them for the full effect.
Whether lunch is pre-packaged or homemade, you’re doing an amazing job. Feeding kids and remembering to feed yourself can feel like a colossal feat. Don’t lose your mind over lunchtime. Embrace the shortcuts when you need them. You've got this.
