1) Pre-made or "make ahead" smoothies - My boys are always in a rush to get outside and play, so they like when I pack them things that they can eat quickly. Smoothies are perfect!
Hans Dairy* makes a pre-made smoothie with all natural ingredients that your little ones are sure to love. My boys are big fans of the strawberry flavour.
Or you can make a big batch of homemade smoothies, stick them in the freezer, and pop them in the kids' lunchboxes each morning.
2) Lunch of snacks - My boys aren't huge fans of sandwiches, so I often fill their lunches with their favourite healthy snacks. Using individual containers makes it easy to customize lunches for picky eaters. Check out this lunch of carrot sticks, strawberries, Hans Dairy's* rice pudding, a hard boiled egg, pretzels, applesauce, and a homemade ginger cookie.
A yogurt parfait is another fantastic choice for a healthy lunch that feels like a snack. You can mix fresh fruit and Hans Dairy* natural yogurt with some granola for a tasty and nutritious lunch that kids will love!
3) Quick grab bins - When it comes to making lunches, a little prep goes a long way. Pack your own single serving snacks and lunch staples in bins so that the contents can be easily "popped" into lunch bags.
4) Fill a freezer - Filling a freezer with individually packed homemade goods can save time and money... and it will help you avoid filling lunch boxes with processed snacks that contain unwanted preservatives. Freezer staples in our house include: lunchbox biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, and ginger cookies.
What are your favourite lunchbox shortcuts? I hope you find my tips helpful, and I encourage you to check out Hans Dairy's* healthy choices for school lunchboxes. You can feel good about their products because they are free of any artificial sugars, flavourings, colourings, and preservatives.
♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)
*Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and Hans Dairy and have received compensation for this post. All opinions in the post are my own.
Not really a shortcut, but I find if I involve my daughter in packing her lunch, she's more likely to eat it. Her school asks for a litter-less lunch so I get her to help me put her food/snacks into containers.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea... and I love the idea of a litter-less lunch!
DeleteWell such great tips and helpful ideas for making lunches and snacks easier. Great idea for frozen smoothies and snack bin
ReplyDeleteGlad you found the tips helpful!
DeleteI love all these great tips.These sound like awesome ideas an healthy snacks for the kids lunches! #HansDairy
ReplyDeleteHealthy snacks have been a game changer for me and my boys! Glad I could help.
DeleteGrapes, cheeses, crackers, deli meats etc. She loves snack type lunches instead of traditional sandwich. :)
ReplyDeleteMy kids like sandwiches so I pack them different ones so they dont get tired of the same thing. I pick different meats and use leftovers if I can. Their lunch is usually healthy but I give them one snack that isn't really like a fruit snack or gusher fruit roll up etc They always come home with an empty lunch pail. !
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have some good little eaters. I think changing it up is really clever!
DeleteLove the homemade smoothie frozen for lunches idea! Where did you get those smoothie cups? Btw, I found the yogurt/granola cup at Superstore after seeing it on your blog! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Heidi. I got my jars at Walmart, but you can get them on Amazon too: http://amzn.to/2fM4qJq I am loving my yogurt/granola cup. I went to get another one, but they were sold out!
Deletegoing to make those brownies as looks like they won't dry out as some brownies do
ReplyDeletePack lunches the night before in containers. I buy snack things like crackers, cheese, grapes, pepperoni, and of course a sweet.Never had a return yet! LOL
ReplyDeletePacking snacks works well here too!
DeleteBlog are goods for every one where we get all information we needed nice job keep it up !
ReplyDelete