Last week's "real food" school lunch tips were so popular I thought I'd stay on that bandwagon for at least one more week. Whether you want to spend one Sunday afternoon cooking up a storm or make a double-batch of something new every few days…planning ahead is key when it comes to making “real food” school lunches easy! Last year I struggled almost every night to come up with a balanced, fun, and somewhat creative lunch for my daughter. I now realize it's because my options were rather limited. Aside from a few exceptions, I could only pull from our pantry or fridge and that got a little boring after a while. If by chance I had some leftover boiled whole-wheat noodles I could throw into the mix it was like my lucky day.
So rather than making last minute lunches again this year I am going to start planning ahead because I know this will make things so much easier in the long run. And even if “cooking up a storm” sounds like an undertaking, I am excited to finally have a plan. I don't know about you, but once I have the next day's lunch figured out and packed it's such a big weight off my shoulders (and also one less thing standing in the way of me and my bedtime)!
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Cook Weeks Ahead….
- Jar Storage (pictured): Eight-ounce jelly jars are the perfect size for freezing individual portions of soups, leftovers, and other one-dish meals. Pictured are five servings of homemade chicken noodle soup that will each fit perfectly into my daughter's Thermos container. All I have to do is take one out to thaw the night before, heat it up in the morning, and then add it to her thermos before school.
Ideas for jars: Chicken noodle soup with veggies, tomato bisque, chili, corn chowder, tortilla soup, jambalaya, peanut squash soup, matzo ball soup, spaghetti sauce, and gumbo.
Hint: Don't fill jars all the way because liquids expand when they freeze.
Storebought Organic Applesauce Frozen in Ice Cube Trays - Ice Cube Trays: Ice cube trays are a fabulous way to freeze extra-small portions of things like sauces. Whether you are preserving items that you made yourself or extending the shelf life of items that are store-bought, it is an easy little trick. Just transfer your frozen cubes into a big bag or container for storage and then pull out the right size portion the night before school. Simply let the cubes defrost in the lunchbox container overnight in the fridge and that's all there is to it!
Ideas for Ice Cube Trays: Applesauce (pictured), hummus, pesto, pizza sauce, bbq sauce - Zip Lock Bags / Big Tupperware Containers: Big disposable bags sure are easy, but my freezer starts to become a mess if I don't have at least some sturdy containers to keep things straight. And I've found that there are so many things I can make in advance, freeze between layers of wax paper, and take out to defrost the night before school.
Cream Cheese, Raisin, and Cinnamon Sandwich on Defrosted Homemade Whole-Wheat Waffles Ideas for Bags / Tupperware: Whole wheat muffins, waffles (pictured as a sandwich), pancakes, plain pizza crusts (to eat with that pizza sauce you froze in the ice cube trays!), banana or zucchini bread, and cornbread (to go with that chili you froze in a jar)
Plan Days Ahead…
- Boil eggs, noodles, rice, etc. to have ready and available in the fridge.
- Chop fruit and peel & chop veggies all at once so it is easy to grab and pack these items on a busy weeknight.
- Portion out whole-grain crackers, pretzels, homemade trail mix, or other snacks if this will help you save time during the week.
- Make at least one dipping sauce like tzatziki, a salad dressing or hummus to add to lunch boxes.
- Mix and freeze smoothies or yogurt in freezie pop holders so it is ready to go when you need it.
Set Up Night Before...
Plain Whole-Wheat Pizza Crusts Frozen for Lunches - Get out any freezer items like plain homemade whole-wheat pizza crusts (pictured) that need to defrost in lunchbox overnight.
- Add fresh chopped fruit, veggies, whole-grain crackers and/or dipping sauce to lunchbox.
- Make a sandwich or wrap if you don't think it will get soggy overnight.
- Fill water or milk cup and store in fridge.
- Set out lunch box, reusable napkin, silverware, etc. as well as a bowl for cereal or other breakfast items.
Assemble Morning of...
- Reheat any soups, sauces, oatmeal or other items that need to be warmed up and added to Thermos.
- Get out frozen smoothie or yogurt pops, which will have all morning to defrost before lunchtime.
- Assemble and pack any other items that you didn't make the night before like sandwiches.
- Add several ice packs to lunch box/bag to keep perishables cold.
Extra Credit: School Lunch Supplies...
- Lunchbox: For school lunch storage I love using Ziploc's divided containers (pictured). Not only are these a ridiculously inexpensive option, but unlike other similar lunchboxes these are air-tight. That means sauces and yogurts won't leak into the other compartments, and if you add whole-grain crackers or pretzels the night before they won't get stale. This one is also BPA free and helps you pack a no (or low) waste lunch!
- Lunch Sack/Box: The Ziploc containers fit along with a drink cup in rectangular insulated lunchboxes from Old Navy, Lands End and Target. They fit without a drink cup in Pottery Barn lunchboxes.
- Napkins & Silverware: Sure writing notes on disposable napkins is fun, but tie dying reusable white cotton napkins with your grade-schooler is even more fun and it's also better for the environment.
DIY Reusable Tie Dye Lunchbox Napkins That's what my daughter and I did together last year (pictured) and we now have 10 reusable napkins that I can pack for both her lunch and snack every day of the week. She designed them herself and the bright tie-dye colors hide stains so they will easily outlast yet another school year. I found that cocktail napkins are the perfect size for wiping little fingers and faces, and they're also 100% cotton, which is recommended for tie dying. I also let my daughter pick out some super cheap reusable forks and spoons from Wal-Mart that we use in her lunchbox as well.
- Cups/Thermoses: We love the supply of insulated Thermos drink cups and containers at Target. They keep drinks cold and food warm for hours and there are lots of fun choices for both big and little ones!
Please feel free to share your school lunch tips in the comments below.
Related Post: Real Food Tips: 10 Ways to Switch Up Your Kid's Lunch
Laura says
I love the idea a freezing our on yogurt pops, but what do you use so that they act like the go-gurts? My girls love the idea of go-gurts but prefer normal yogurt because of suger.
100 Days of Real Food says
I pretty much just freeze smoothies in ours (that are sweetened with extra ripe bananas...and delicious), but you could use my berry sauce recipe to make flavored yogurt and freeze that instead. It is sweetened with a little maple syrup instead of sugar.
No Greater Love says
I love these ideas. I use mason jars for storing almost all my food...pasta, beans, etc. But I never remember that I can freeze stuff in them! Thanks for the reminder.
And...this is probably old news, because it was made back in 2005 it looks. But I came across the funniest thing...it is called Store Wars. It's on youtube...it's a spin off on Star Wars...but all about eating organic foods. :) It is good for a chuckle, if you get a chance to check it out. :)
Hayley says
When I started making my daughter's baby food, I intended to freeze small portions in ice cube trays. However, I couldn't find any at the first store I searched (weird, right?) and was too lazy to make a second trip, so I bought muffin tins. The larger size is actually perfect -- it's about 3 oz by volume if you fill the cups to the top -- and after freezing I just transfer them to plastic bags. This would be a great way to preserve servings of applesauce, etc., for older kids because it's obviously a more substantial portion than an ice-cube-sized block and will take longer to defrost in a lunch box. Just one warning: you need to invest in quality, dark-coated muffin tins to avoid rusting. After I bought the cheap tins and had issues, I switched to my wedding-registry Calphalon pans and haven't had any problems. Also, the half-size (six muffin) tins are much easier to get in the freezer than the standard 12-cup size.
Tina says
That is an awesome idea. Thanks for sharing!
100 Days of Real Food says
Great idea! And I actually put several of the applesauce cubes in my daughter's lunch box (not just one). I have those ice cube trays leftover from when I made baby food too!
Tammy says
You should check out the goodbyn! Its a really cool lunch box that seals tight and is recyclable!
My daughter LOVED decorating hers!
http://www.goodbyn.com/
rebekah says
Great ideas!!! We can so much stuff I don't know why I never thought of doing soup!! We can peaches, pears (w/o sugar) and fresh albacore tuna that we either catch or buy right off the dock and make our own salsa.
Maegan says
Great ideas! I love the one about the soup.. i have a 4 year old that goes to pre-k and i am always looking for things to pack in his lunch beyond PBJs
Liz post says
This is such a great blog! My daughters starting k so this is the first time I'm having to pack lunches. I was so worried about how to handle this because we have the same type of food values this blog shares and I know it's going to be a challenge for us! I'm really excited now instead of scared!! Also we use the little mason jars for drinking cups at home for our five and three year old. It's small and it has the ounces on the side which helps us keep track of her water consumption!
Thanks!
Amanda says
For those of you that are open to the idea of vacuum sealing, my brother and I own a small food equipment company where we sell vacuum sealer bags (that will work in ANY brand of tabletop vacuum sealer such as Foodsaver). The bags I sell are made in Italy and are certified BPA-free. Something that I think would be beneficial for all of you is to par-freeze the individual portions of soup into the bags or ice cube trays so they become solid, and then seal the bags using your vacuum sealer machine. This will ensure maximum oxygen is removed from the bag. Then you can rest assured that your home-cooked healthy meals will not get freezer burned and you can enjoy them throughout the year. Also, you can throw three bags of different food into one pot of boiling water to cook and...wait for it...NO MESSY CLEAN UP! :) Our website is http://www.thevakshack.com Let me know what you think!
Stephanie says
Awesome idea!! :)
Melissa Martinez says
Glass jars?! Ice cube trays?! Why didn't I ever think of that! Brilliant! I was getting so frustrated with lunch ideas that I eventually just gave into the Lunch-able...not anymore!
Tina says
I have been thinking of another option for freezing soup and never thought of using glass jars. Could you please post they recipe you use for Chicken Noodle Soup?
maria says
Would love to have your recipe for Chicken Noodle soup. My son would love to have that at school for lunch.
Thank you
Janene says
I just posted about needing lunch ideas on my blog today!!! God send!!! Thank you!!! I live right across the street from school so I'm taking fresh lunches at least two days a week!!! Can;t wait to keep browsing this site!!!!!
NatalieInCA says
Great post! I am lazy, so I just double batch dinner every day and lunch is always leftovers (1 or 2 days old) + fresh fruit. I almost never freeze. I don't like plastic, even the BPA free, so I pack everything in stainless steel containers (like the LunchBots - pricey but so worth it, a little bit like buying organic - health is priceless), small pyrex, insulated stainless jars, and snack cloth bags. We are also zero waste, so we use cloth napkin and stainless steel forks/spoons/water bottle. I love the tie dye napkins, so convenient to hide stains. What paint did you use? Is it food safe? I might also use it to revamp my grocery cloth bags.
Feeding My Tribe says
Thanks for the ideas. We pack our lunch everyday and use the Laptop Lunchboxes mentioned above. We do occasionally use the Ziploc disposables when we don't get our lunchboxes washed the night before and we are short on time in the morning.
Megan says
I feel the same as Jackie! I haven't been able to find the Ziploc containers anywhere (well I've only tried Target & Maceys!) and I think I may buy the easy lunchbox package too. I'm going to try one more store tomorrow!
Jennifer says
I love these ideas...they are great for me even as a homeschooling mom. I love your blog and have followed it for a few months. I just added you to my blogroll on my new blog, officially launching the first of September. Keep up the good work!
Treens says
Hi there,
I was looking for a place to write you a private message but can't find one so I'll just write it here.
First off - love your blog! Thank you for all the tips and ideas, recipes and all. Always so interesting.
Secondly, have you heard of a Thermomix? (I do not sell them or anything - promise!, just wanted to share a great product with you and after reading your blog, I know it would be a great addition to your already healthy habits). It is a kitchen appliance that does nearly everything! Look here - http://www.thermomix.com.au/01-productprofile.html I make my own butter, jam, sauces, cooks my rice and pasta, steams all my meats, makes yogurt and icecream, bread, nutella, custard, cakes, muffines, etc without using any preservatives or additives.
I am not sure if it is big in America yet, but it is getting huge in Australia (where I am from) and lots of nutritionists here are using them, including the TV show Masterchef, etc.
Just wanted to share it with you!
xx
100 Days of Real Food says
Thank you for reading (and commenting)! I actually have heard of that appliance before (from a blog reader a long time ago). It definitely has not caught on yet here in the U.S., but sounds like a pretty amazing machine. I cannot imagine having one appliance to do all those things. Thanks for letting me know it is the next best thing since sliced bread...maybe I will be ahead of the curve by the time it hits the U.S.! :)
Wendy says
There's something similar being sold on infomercials in the US these days... Put in tomatoes, pour out hot tomato soup in six minutes, things like that. I'd love to try it but small kitchen & small budget = not right now.
Kim M. says
Oh! Also, I love your concept of freezing applesauce in ice cube trays! Those little single-portion plastic cups of applesauce are so convenient but the waste really bothers me. We can never manage to finish a jar of applesauce in my household before it goes bad so freezing it your way solves that problem, too. One of the fruit orchards in my neighborhood makes the best applesauce (2 ingredients--apples and water) but it's pricey and I hate to toss any of it.
Dana says
Hi Kim,
My hubby LOVES applesauce so to save money I started making it from scratch and it could not be easier. Takes 5 minutes. All you need is a slow cooker, slicer/corer, 2 large apples, 1/3 cup water, and cinnamon - optional -. Peel apples, core and slice with corer, (If you want really smooth sauce you can grate the slices into the pot), put apples in crock pot with water, sprinkle cinnamon on top, cook on low for 3 - 6 hours. SO yummy! Enjoy!
Kim M. says
Several years ago, my sister and I made a large batch of tomato soup and tried freezing it in small jars as you recommend here. We left what we were sure was a generous amount of space at the top of each jar and closed the lids. Several of the jars exploded in the freezer. It made a terrible mess and we lost most of the soup and, of course, several nice Mason jars. I HIGHLY recommend freezing the soup in the jars BEFORE putting the lids on. Once frozen, the jars can be capped safely. If space to accommodate upright jars is tight in your freezer, just freeze the open jars a few at a time and keep the rest of the jars in the fridge while they "wait their turn" for the freezer.
Kristy says
Also, make sure that the jars ARE freezer safe (not all of them are).
Amanda says
Thanks for these awesome tips! Just wanted to post that I have found the ziplock containers at Tom Thumb.
Marta says
Quick question: do you put the thermos in the same lunch box with the cold items and the ice packs? Won't this cool the food in the thermos too early?
100 Days of Real Food says
I do put it all together because I don't really have another choice. But the thermos is insulated so I don't think it cools off as quickly from ice as a regular container would.
Sara says
I plan ahead to ensure that I only have items that don't require refrigeration in the lunchbox when I have a thermos on board. For example, I'd do soup with crackers plus an orange and maybe another fruit or some trail mix. On days when I have something cold and need icepacks, then I'll load in the "refrigeration requitred" foods like yogurt.
Perhaps I'm overly cautious, but I'm like you and worry the icepacks will speed the cooling down of the thermos.
Jane says
My kids have been bringing a thermos of hot food 3-5 times a week for six years. Ice packs have zero impact on the temp of the food food inside the thermos. We shelled out extra $$$ for a high quality Thermos brand, not one of the cutesy kid ones. I heat the thermos as directed before adding hot food. Never had a problem.
KellBell says
The actual thermos brand you can buy at walmart is a little more expensive than the cheaper cute ones but worth it! I paid $11 for my sons and he complains that sometimes his food is too hot. Thats with the Ice pack in there for his drink and fruit! :) LOVE IT!!
Kathie says
Awesome ideas! Last week I made a batch of fruit juice gelatin with berries in it, then refrigerated them in little lock&lock tupperware containers. They are the perfect lunch size snack! (and way healthier than jello, even if not the healthiest!)
Suravi says
Love these ideas for my own lunches I bring into work! I work at a school so it's really a school lunch, right? Thanks :)
Jody H from VT says
You are so smart! Good ideas as always! :)
Katie says
I really like the soup idea. I have never thought to freeze individual servings. Thanks for the tip!
Trish says
Love this post!!
Adriane @ GreenhornLiving says
Wow! This is great. I so badly want to do all these things but get overwhelmed with how. I don't have kids but this is so useful for everyone. My husband is an elementary school teacher and I want to start packing him lunches so he can quit the tiny portions of over-processed "food" at the cafeteria! Even though he loves it, lol. So it'll have to be good to convince him--luckily, you're stuff has made a start possible.
Renee says
I'm confused about the frozen yogurt pops...how is it they are for lunches when they will thaw out and not be frozen pops but liquid???
100 Days of Real Food says
When they thaw out it is just like eating yogurt or a smoothie. Last year my daughter had an early lunch so hers still had an icy chunk in the middle, which she liked to chew. It is just like those storebought "gogurts" that go in the freezer and thaw out by lunchtime...only SOOO much better because you know what's in it!
Elena @ GagaForGrapefruit says
SO in love with these ideas! I don't even have kids, and I have used all the ideas for my OWN lunches! Each 'Real Food Tip' post is bookmarked in my browser and sent to myself in my e-mail for easy access. GREAT work Lisa! :)
Roslyn says
Just bought the yogurt molds from amazon. What a wonderful idea! Thanks!
Sara says
We use 1/2 cup sized canning jars to hold everything from yogurt to fruit to you name it. The jars are surprisingly sturdy and so easy to wash up (dishwasher!). Even my baby butterfingers has not broken one yet-and she drops them all the time They fit nicely in Lands End /LL Bean lunch boxes, too.
Stephanie Pierce says
I love all your lunch ideas! We use bento style lunch boxes found at Whole Foods markets and online at http://www.laptoplunches.com/. They are washable, reusable, BPA and lead free, and more! What I love about them is that the portion sizes seem prefect for my elementary kids. When you consider the savings on Ziploc bags and sandwich baggies, the cost of a reusable and waste free lunchbox is so great! I don't sew much, so I like to find cloth napkins on clearance after holidays.
Sue says
Great ideas ... have been thinking about this all week then I turn the computer on and you've posted these wonderful ideas. Thanks :)
Katherine says
I think she freezes it in the jars, but then moves it to an insulated thermos after heating in the mornings. The jars are so you can thaw single servings conveniently. Great post. Love the ideas since I'm already back to school!
100 Days of Real Food says
That is exactly right! :)
Cali says
Does the soup stay warm enough or do you put it into a thermos?
100 Days of Real Food says
I put it in a thermos after I heat it up.
Carly says
I even pre-heat the thermos with hot (usually boiling, b/c I forget I turned it on until it's whistling at me!) water from the kettle. My girl has said in the past that her soup was too hot even at lunchtime!
Karen says
Great ideas! Be aware that some schools do not allow glass containers transported on school buses.
100 Days of Real Food says
I don't send the soup in the glass...I heat and transfer to an insulated thermos.
Cindy says
Great tips! We also store our lunchboxes in the freezer! That way they don't take up any cabinet space and they're already nice and cold when I pack them in the mornings.
Melissa says
I love the tie dye napkin idea! For the last few years, my kids and I have made homemade napkins- they pick cute patterns of flannel, and we cut out approx 6 in squares and hem them. The flannel washes up well and the prints hide stains!
Sarah says
Great post. Which "drink cup" will fit in the lunch boxes you mentioned? Unfortunately the LLBean lunch box is too small for those great Ziploc containers and a drink:(
100 Days of Real Food says
We use an insulated thermos (with a straw) so that's the one I've tried. That's too bad about the LLBean boxes!
Jackie says
I have looked all over for those ziploc containers! I finally just went ahead and bought the Easy Lunch Box which looks pretty similar. I am a little worried about the lid coming off though ~ but we'll see. This is my first year sending lunches to school, it's a little daunting, but I've gotten a lot of great ideas from your blog!
100 Days of Real Food says
The Easy Lunch Boxes are similar, but they are not air tight so make sure you put plastic over anything that could leak to the next compartment. Good luck with your lunch packing!! :)