Make it Yourself – Lunchables

Yesterday, we had some questions on our Facebook page about what kinds of lunches to send to school with our kids. Lots of moms mentioned Lunchables. They are easy and quick to use when there isn’t a lot of time in the mornings. We have some ideas for making your own lunchables. It’s less expensive and you can use your kid’s favorite meats, veggies and drinks.

I use Bento style lunch boxes and have found some great tools for making my boy’s lunches more fun and healthy. One of my favorite places is From Japan With Love.com. We use the sandwich cutters/molds and various containers. Each of the boys has a Laptop Lunchbox. They come with 4 containers and a fork and spoon. Here are tips on making a great homemade lunchable.

• Use your kid’s favorite meats. (We go for non-processed and not loaded down with preservatives.) At the beginning of every week I cut them in small shapes, usually circles or using a cookie cutter that coincides with the season.
• Use your kid’s favorite cheeses. Again, you can buy a better quality of cheese than what comes in lunchables. Cut them into small shapes or use cookie cutters.
• Use vegetables and fruits that your kid actually likes. Prep them at the beginning of the week. We go for celery, cucumbers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, edamame, grapes, berries, oranges, apples and bananas. I cut the apples the day of the lunch and the bananas I cut in half, the fit better that way.
• Use whole wheat crackers or mini-rice cakes (for gluten free families).
• Use nuts, all kinds are easy to eat, easy to pack and if there are no allergies, kids will eat them.