Sanity Saving Lunchbox Tips

Trying to be better at packing school lunches? I love sending my son with a lunch from home. Not only is is cheaper for me to pack a lunch for him, but I can also control what he is eating. I can make sure that I pack a healthy lunch for him.

Unfortunately, even with the best of intentions he sometimes ends up eating a school lunch. Since his school lunch is around $5 each day, it is a huge money savings for me to pack him a lunch.  I have figured out a few tips to not only save my sanity, but have him eating a packed lunch too.

Plan Ahead 

I have found that planning ahead can make or break if my son takes his lunch. If I wait until the morning of or even the night before, I get to busy and can skip it. Try planning ahead in the week for packing lunches. I try to make sure I have everything I need on Sunday. I divide things out into the containers and place them all in a big lunch bin. This way, all we need to do is put the containers in the bag. Just spending 15-20 on Sunday can help the week go smoother.

Buy A Treat

For a long time my son was resistant to taking his lunch. He would always make up excuses of why he couldn't take a lunch that day. Finally, I found out he liked getting Goldfish at school. It is way cheaper for me to buy some bags of Goldfish when they are on sale and pack them in his lunch then it is for him to buy a lunch at school. By packing a special treat like Goldfish, he is more likely to take a lunch. Spending a little extra money to get a special treat your child likes may be just the thing to encourage them to take a lunch.

Have Plenty of Containers

The last thing you want to do is be washing the same container night after night. I recommend having plenty of containers. If your child typically packs a hot lunch make sure you have two thermos for hot products. It may cost more up front, but will save you money in the long run. If you don't get the time to wash it out and repack it they won't be taking a lunch. I also recommend having containers that are a different style from your everyday containers. This way they don't get used for other things.

Let Them Choose

I try to let my son make some of the lunch choices. I usually have two veggies, two fruits and two main meals that he can decide from everyday. On Sunday, I package up a variety of choices and place them in a bin from the dollar store. Then, each night he can pick what he wants to take each day. Not only does it make less work for me, but he likes being able to pick out what he takes.

Store It Well

Those princess containers may be cute, but you also need to make sure it will keep the food to temperature. My son has been way more willing to take a lunch since I bought him this lunchbox. He loves how cold it keeps his food.  Before that he was complaining that his food was too warm at lunch. We also love this thermos for keeping things warm and cold. Keeping things hot or cold isn't just a matter of preference, it can also be a matter of safety too.

I love being able to pack a lunch for my son each day. Not only do I know what he is eating, but I can make sure that we are saving money too. What sanity saving lunchbox tips do you have?