Lunch Lessons

So in the last post I mentioned that I'd be talking about lunch. Particularly the kind of lunch your kids eat. The kind you pack for them when they head off to school. Before this year, I didn't really know or care much about packable lunches but I"m deep in the trenches now. I fear the less than stellar choices that are offered at Sweet Pea's school. In addition to the choices, Sweet Pea gets about 25 minutes for lunch. That includes standing in line, sitting down, eating and packing up. Not much time right!? So yeah,since the beginning of kindergarten last September, I have packed her lunch every single day.

I've also packed a lunch for myself and Jojo three days a week since August. I have a little more flexibility with our lunches since we have access to a refrigerator and microwave.

So why am a blogging about this.  It's because of some of the comments that I've heard recently regarding lunches.

Sweet Pea says, "Mom, why can't you ever send me a NORMAL lunch?"

One of my preschoolers says "I don't eat ANY fruits or veggies". He brings a sandwich, fruit roll up and 2 sweet snacks each day.

The lunch staff at Sweet Pea's school said today "So YOU are the mom who packs the famous lunches. Wish you could come give lessons to all the other moms".

Well, I might offend a few people by heading to elementary school to give lessons on packing school lunches, but I can put my ideas out over the internet for interested parties to read.

So now that you've read that, I'm sure your curious what sort of magical stuff I'm sending my kids to eat every day huh?? Really it's not that special, I just try to mix it up and keep it healthy. I have a "you must eat your veggies" policy and that goes for lunch too. So this is what my babies are having for lunch tomorrow.

The top box belongs to Sweet Pea: Left over AmyLu chicken, apple & gouda sausauge, a Babybell cheese, ketchup, carrot sticks, fresh strawberries and blackberries.

The bottom box belongs to Jojo: Leftover Italian Sausage and Spinach Soup, carrot & bell pepper sticks, ranch for dipping & fresh strawberries and blackberries. His bottom tray will get popped in the microwave at school for a few minutes.

So that's what lunch looks like for my kids. No lunchables and no fruit snacks. I'll tell you more about my nifty lunch boxes and little containers for dip and such later!