How to pack school lunches faster
For most families, getting everyone out the door in the morning, with a healthy packed lunch, can be a slow process. Try our ideas to help you save some time every day.
Planning ahead can save you time in the morning. Get the kids to help plan their lunch boxes for the week using our fun and interactive Healthy Lunch Box builder. You can print or email their packed lunch box which helps with shopping as well. If you prefer something printed to put on the fridge use our weekly lunch box planner.
With some simple preparation at a time that suits you, you can save a lot of stress in the morning.
- Buy snack sized veg that don’t require cutting e.g. cherry tomatoes, baby cucumbers and snow peas.
- Keep some shelf stable items like corn or rice thins, canned fruit and milk poppers in the pantry.
- Spend some time on the weekend preparing freezer-friendly lunch box items such as fruit loaf or veggie muffins.
- Packaged snacks can be convenient, however, it’s important to know which ones to buy. Here are our top 8 healthy packaged snacks to grab-and-go when time is low.
- Make a loaf of sandwiches with simple fillings such as cheese, tuna, hummus or left over roast meat and freeze. Take them from the freezer in the morning and quickly add some salad or pack some salad separately.
- Invest in some silicon egg cups that boil eggs without their shell. No more peeling eggs before they go in the lunch box. Use eggs in a smashed egg and lettuce sandwich or just plain for a snack. Curried eggs make a nice change.
- Lots of dinner foods can easily be packed in the lunch box. Turn leftovers into lunch when you are cleaning up after dinner, pack leftovers straight into lunch containers and store in the fridge ready for the morning.
And let your kids help. Start with simple tasks for young children and before you know they will be doing it all themselves.
