Oh my goodness... it's the last TWO full weeks of SUMMER in Western NY! How is that even possible?! It flew by!!! Now it's time to really start thinking about all things Back to School, including what we will feed the little kiddies when we send them off to school.
Not only is the menu important, but so are the containers & lunch boxes... are you prepared?! Be sure what you choose fits together. Quite honestly the options are endless. Favorites in our house for several years now have been the Sistema Sandwich Container & Sistema Small Divided Container. We also use slim ice packs {Fit & Fresh} as they can easily fit between the two containers and keep everything chilled.
As for the lunch - our kids have not always been sandwich eaters {and one is still not}. I know, it seems a little weird - however it was never worth the fight. So our general rule has always been a protein; veggies; fruit; a couple extra snacks; and a drink. On occasion our daughter has even asked to pack soup in which case we use a little thermos. Or other times, a salad... and we even have little containers specifically for salad dressing. {There are containers for everything, really.}
Not sure about menu options?! - Some of you may remember my post on 'The Power of Women & Small Business' {if you missed it, you can follow the link here} and one of the women featured in that post, Emily Kyle, a registered dietitian nutritionist. What better way to incorporate another amazing women in small business than with her great tips on Back to School Lunches which includes low carb lunch box options; cheese & veggie pitas & more. In addition, you can find delicious Back to School Snack recipes in Emily's latest Blog Post here.
Perhaps you have never heard of Emily - you will definitely want to check out her weekly segments every Monday morning on Good Day Rochester at 7:45am where she shares her love for food and nutrition in her Health in a Handbasket Segment for Fox Rochester. And maybe you're on Instagram, go follow along for all things health & nutrition {and a whole lotta cuteness when her little guy, Ransom, joins in her Insta stories}. In need of health/nutrition help/info - contact Emily directly at emily@emilykylenutrition.com
Still need more inspiration for back to school lunches? Here is a free printable with some quick go to ideas when you're in a pinch. Print it out & keep it on the fridge or taped inside a cupboard door for quick reference.
Enjoy these last couple weeks of SUMMER and happy lunch prep!