It’s been a full week of reintroducing back to school routines and rhythms in our home. Ava loves her grade 3 teacher and can’t wait to “do more work” (must be a teacher’s kid!) and Claire was chomping at the bit to get back into her preschool class this morning. Last week’s “not your typical back to school POST” was all about the predictable routines that we implement during this busy transition to maintain peace and calm in our home. We’ve been enjoying family dinners and outside time together to reconnect after a long day apart. A daily load of laundry and a clean sink and unloaded dishwasher each night have helped with staying on top of the demands of family life.
Today, I want to focus on the simple system we have in place to stay on top of the daily school lunch demands. The truth is, our kids needs a lunch made every … single… day… and well that can just get exhausting! (Just being real). We were often trying to throw something together during the busy morning rush, scrounging through our fridge and pantry for things that would work and give our girls sustenance for the day. It was a bit of a gamble each morning and that just added to the stress of trying to get everyone out the door on time.
5 Steps to Simplified School Lunch Prep
1. CLICK AND COLLECT
Friends, this has changed my life! If you are looking to save time in your week and save money while you are at it, click and collect is for you! I had been meaning to give this a try for quite some time, but needed a gentle push from a good friend to actually download the app and go for it. I recommend having a few of your local grocery store apps open while you shop to compare pricing. We have been using the Real Canadian Superstore Click and Collect service and have been so impressed. You can order from the comfort of home (even when you are having a nice relaxing bath) and they will do all the work for you! Say goodbye to aimlessly searching the isles for that one item you need or using all of your precious preschool time to grocery shop.
- Order one day ahead of time & choose the best pick up time that works for you
- Compare prices, if you find a better price on an item you want elsewhere, just write a note in the comment section and they will price match
- A confirmation email will be sent to you to tell you when your order is ready for pick up
- Bring your own reusable bags or collapsible storage bins to store groceries (not necessary but recommended!)
2. WASH AND PREP
One time saving tip I have implemented is to wash all my veggies and fruit as soon as I bring them home. I just add a bit of dish soap to the water in the sink, let them soak and then rinse well. Prepare veggie packs at this time and cut fruit and put in a container so you can just grab and go throughout the week. Doing this ahead of time not only makes lunch prep easier but grabbing a snack or preparing dinner is simplified as well. Find a day during the week that works best for you and schedule in about an hour for pick up and prep.
- Soak all of your vegetables and fruit in soapy water
- Rinse well
- Prep your food before putting it in the fridge or pantry so it is grab & go
3. USE BINS TO SORT LUNCH ESSENTIALS
Have some bins in your pantry or kitchen cabinets and in your fridge that are filled with lunch essentials. Some of our favourite items to include in our lunch bins are veggie packs, sandwich or wrap, crackers, cheese, yogurt, snack bags and fruit cups. Sort these items ahead of time so that you are aware when items need to be refilled and aren’t trying to make something out of nothing. Also, keep them in reach so your child can prepare their own lunch. (More on that later!)
- Head to your local dollar store, container store or Amazon for some simple rectangular bins
- Store food that easily crumbles (such as crackers) in small tupperware containers inside the bin for the week
- Create ready made veggie packs with a variety of pre-washed vegetables inside and place in a bin in your fridge
4. LABEL BINS FOR EASY LUNCH PREP
We use simple chalkboard labels and a chalkboard pen to label each bin. I enjoy this method because I can change the categories as needed. You can even include how many of those items your child can put in his or her lunch bag each day. For example on the snack bin, we have *Pick One* under the title so that our kiddos don’t get carried away with their sugar consumption. You can use a label maker or even purchase custom labels online to title each bin. But remember, the idea is to keep things simple and to find a system that works best for your family!
- Label each bin using a simple system that works for you
- Tell your child how many items they can choose out of each bin
5. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO PACK THEIR OWN LUNCH AT THE SAME TIME EACH DAY
Right after dinner, when we are already in the kitchen doing our clean up, Ava packs her own lunch. (Claire is in preschool and only requires a snack so she isn’t quite ready for this step). We have placed the bins within reach and have taught her how to grab an item or two out of each bin (depending on what it says), and create a unique and healthy lunch each day. She enjoys the independence of packing her own lunch and it only takes her 3 minutes to pack it because of the prep we put into it once a week. We can enjoy the rest of the evening and avoid the late night or early morning scramble to make lunches.
- Choose a regular time each day for making lunches
- Teach your child the simple system you have in place
- Place the packed lunch bag in the fridge and grab & go in the morning … hello simple mornings!
I hope you have found this simple lunch prep post useful! Taking some time to wash and prep lunch items into bins & teaching your child to make their own lunch will help to make this daily task a simple and fun one!
Snap a picture and add hashtag #simplifylunchprep on your facebook or instagram to encourage other families in our OWK community!
Do you have any tips to simplify daily lunch prep? I’d love to hear all about them in the comments section below.
Resource List to Create a Simplified Lunch Prep System:
All of these resources have been hand picked by yours truly due to their ability to save space, get you organized and re-use them which is good for the environment!
Click on the Link for more details:
6 Piece Acrylic BPA Free Refrigerator Storage Bins
Brother Wireless Handy Label Maker
Here’s to SIMPLIFYING lunch prep and taking back our precious time to make room for the things that matter most!
This post contains affiliate links for products I truly love and enjoy!
