5 Tips for Packing Lunches as we head into the school year.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Smucker’s & Mom it Forward. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Is it just me or do little kids grow up SO fast? Recently, my daughter has gone from this little toddler who could only say a few words to full sentences and bouncing around like a little ‘big’ kid. Of course, she still has her moments and the tantrums definitely remind me that we aren’t out of the two’s just yet, but we are so close!
One thing that has been a challenge with her is food. I should not be surprised because my son was so picky as a toddler, he’s still picky now but we have come a long way. Recently though, my daughter is in love with what she calls ‘bread’. She wants it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What she is really saying is peanut butter and jelly. She LOVES peanut butter and jelly. It can be SO messy though for her, so I decided to try out Smucker’s Uncrustables. I absolutely LOVE the idea of Uncrustables, so I was pretty ecstatic to try them out for her lunches.
The great thing is you simply defrost for a bit and they are ready to serve. This means if you put them in the lunch bag in the morning, they are ready by lunch time. I also love that they are sealed. She was able to eat these with very little mess, which says a lot for her. She’s a walking mess most of the time! She can easily eat it on the go which means even while we sit in carpool lines at my son’s school. They help my family stay unstoppable during the day as we travel from place to place.
They also make my life easier by helping take some of the after school stress off when it comes to packing lunches. I pack lunches in the afternoons for the next day. This is just easier for me to do right when we walk in from school and already have a lot of the lunches out.
I thought I would share a few simple tips to packing lunches!
5 Tips for Packing Lunches
1. Have a designated drawer in the fridge for ‘lunch’ foods – We have a designated drawer in the fridge that is full of fruit, veggies, yogurt, pudding, applesauce, cheese, and a variety of other foods. These are our ‘snack’ foods but really this is what I have the kids help choose from to put in their lunches.
2. Stick to the food groups – I like to stick to the food groups when packing lunches and try to get one item from each group for the lunch. This helps me keep in mind nutritionally what my kids are eating but also means they will have plenty to eat for lunch too. I try to avoid the coming home from school famished feeling.
3. Get the Kids involved – The kids are more likely to eat their lunches if they are involved in helping, if they are older they can likely pack their own lunches with a little supervision from a parent.
4. Get the right lunch bag – Be sure to get a lunch bag that can keep the foods cold if needed. We like to use a cold bag, that I keep in the freezer then I put their lunch in it in the morning. It’s still cold by the time it comes home in the afternoon. This keeps their food at a great temperature without getting soggy or hot.
5. Add a special message for the kids – One thing I love to do is add little lunch notes like these Disney Lunch Notes, this activity from Disney and Uncrustables is just another way to keep your family unstoppable and your kids happy! Even if you have older kids, they still like to know that you were thinking about them throughout the day. No, they may not act like it…but they really do!
Uncrustables has teamed up with Disney to give families everything they need to be unstoppable this year! Through the Disney Uncrustables partnership, parents across the country are sharing their tips for on-the-go lifestyles. This post was inspired by these 19 Sneaky Strategies for Tackling the After School Rush because for me that includes packing lunches for the following day along with getting homework done, dinner on the table, and off to activities!
Now, are you ready to tackle the day? It’s time to be unstoppable with Uncrustables! For more flavor varieties and information head on over to Smucker’s Uncrustables and find them on Facebook and Twitter!
Happy Tuesday!
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