How We Pack Lunches

I have a confession:

I LOVE packing lunches!!

I pack Olive's lunch every day and Kevin's lunch several times a week.

I think of it as a HUG FROM HOME in the middle of their days.

They both seem to love them and thank me for taking the time to pack their favorites.  Olive made me promise that I'd never make her eat school lunch and I'm just fine with that :)

I thought I'd share some tips, tricks and lunch packing ideas with you in the hopes of getting you excited about packing lunches.  These alphabet pretzels are from Meijer.  Aren't they fun!?!

TIPS:
1. Pack all lunches at night.  It'll make your morning so much better to just reach in the fridge and grab their lunches!

2. Go to the grocery regularly to make sure that you've got plenty of healthy, tasty options for their lunches.  You've definitely got to think things out and plan in order to have good lunch foods.

3. Instead of dreading this task, focus on packing a lunch that will bring a smile and be a blessing in your family member's day.

SUPPLIES:
Food Picks
Tooth picks
Napkids (from Meijer) & fun napkins (usually leftover from birthdays or holidays)
*Skinny Freezer packs
*Yumboxes
*Thermos water bottles or mini water bottles
*Reusable snack bags
*all linked below

I found these food packs in the back to school aisles at Target this month.  They have three different packs and I got them all.  We reuse them and they're all so cute.

I try to pack Olive's lunch box with lots of options for her to eat in 20 minutes.  She does not usually eat everything at lunch.  Her routine seems to be eat 3/4 of it at school and finish the last 1/4 of it at home for a snack.  The freezer pack keeps things cool all day if the lunch bag is insulated.

Our Lunch box favorites:
cheese
crunchy veggies - carrots and cucumbers
strawberries
apple slices
peanut butter & pretzels
olives
hummus
fritos, goldfish, wheat thins, skinny pop
sandwich
plain noodles
turkey sausage or turkey pepperoni
treats: m&ms, hershey kisses, Reese cups, cookie, jelly beans, etc.

What do your kids like to eat in their lunches??

Favorite Lunch Products:

1. We just started using these reusable snack bags from Bumkins a few weeks ago and love them.  I got two sets so each kid has two different bag options for lunches or snacks on the go.  They unzip easily for the kids and this size holds a good size snack.  We always do non-melty, non-sticky snacks for these bags (Cheerios, pretzels, Gardettos, goldfish, crackers, etc.

Bumkins Reusable Snack Bag Small 2 Pack, Gray Chevron & Confetti (G48)

2. Yumboxes.
We've been using and LOVING our yumboxes for a year now.  We have several different ones and use them all.  Kevin has taken his lunch in them, too.  I pack Olive's kindergarten lunch in them every day and I will pack Fletcher's 2 year old lunch in them when we are on the go.  Everyone loves them.

I really love how quickly I can pack lunches with Yumboxes.  I don't have to wrap up and package each item because each compartment is sealed.  It's such a time, money and planet saver to not be using tons of ziploc bags in their lunches each day.  I hand wash them to be safe, but they say they are okay to wash in the top rack of your dishwasher.  They are leak proof, hold a lot of food and we couldn't love them more.

If your kids prefer to eat whole sandwiches, I would recommend this size (Yumbox Panino) or the larger Yumbox Tapas size that easily accommodate sandwiches.

YUMBOX Panino (Empire Blue) Leakproof Bento Lunch Box Container for Kids & Adults; Bento-style snack box offers Durable, Leak-proof, On-the-go Meal and Snack Packing

YUMBOX TAPAS Larger Size (Flat Iron Gray) Leakproof Bento lunch box with 5 compartment non-illustrated food tray or Adults, Teens & Pre-teens

If your kids prefer lots of different things, the version with 6 smaller compartments is best.   There are 5 half cup sections in the tray and 1 section for dip or a treat.  We prefer this version (Yumbox Original).  It holds a lot of food and is our #1 favorite style.

YUMBOX Original (Surf Green) Leakproof Bento Lunch Box Container for Kids

If your child just has to take a small snack or only eats a little lunch, the Yumbox Mini Snack is perfect!

YUMBOX MiniSnack Leakproof Snack Box (Ami Green)

3. Slim freezer packs work great with yumboxes.
I just add one to a lunchbox with a thermos and a yumbox to keep things cold until lunch.

[NEW] Cool Pack, Slim Long-Lasting Ice Packs - Great for Coolers or Lunch Box (set of 4)

4. Thermos Brand Funtainer Water Bottles
They hold 12 oz of liquid and claim to keep things cold for 12 hours.  I fill Olive's with ice water at 7:30am and it still has ice in it when she gets home in the afternoon.  I love the easy button opening, the straw and they are really durable.  Both of my kids have them and love them.  There are about 30 different colors/characters/patterns to choose from.

Thermos Funtainer 12 Ounce Bottle, Blue

5. Label Maker
Since several of these lunch box supplies are a bit of an investment, I made sure to label every single one with Olive's full name.  That way they'd be easier to spot in lost and found if they ever found their way there.  I got this label maker for Christmas and LOVE it.

Brother P-touch, PTH110, Easy Portable Label Maker, Lightweight, QWERTY Keyboard, One-Touch Keys, White

 PS Some affiliate links included.  Thanks for reading & supporting Polka-Dotty Place!

Everything You Need for Packing School Lunches

We've got back to school on the brain since Olive starts first grade next week!  We're gathering her list of school supplies, updating her closet and making sure we are ready to start packing lunches.  I'm going to take a little blog break for the last few days of Summer.  I just want to enjoy our days together without worrying about any blog jobs.  I'll be back next week with lots of fun content for August :)

I really love packing lunches.  We've talked about this before, but I figured it couldn't hurt to revisit the subject this time of year.  I think of lunches as a HUG FROM HOME in the middle of the day.  I love packing Olive's favorite foods, taking the time to plan ahead and grocery shop to ensure her lunch will bring a smile to her face and to go the extra mile to make sure she has a healthy meal in the middle of her school day.

It just takes me a few minutes every night to pack her lunch and make it special now that I've gathered all the supplies.  You can do whatever works best for you, but this is the lunch box set up that works best for us.

I keep almost all of these things in a drawer in my kitchen island.  It helps keep me organized and helps me pack lunches quickly.  I either pack lunches right after I clean up dishes from dinner or pack them before I go to bed.  Mornings are such a busy time that I only leave one lunch making job for mornings: Filling up the water bottle.

I'm excited to tell you about our favorite lunch box supplies.  I'll link anything I can from Amazon at the bottom of this post.

Thermos Funtainer Water bottles.
They're 12oz and are AMAZING.  They're so durable, keep ice frozen for the entire school day, hold up well for 18+ months and you can buy replacement straws if they crack or break.  Ours have been dropped, well loved and used daily for 18 months and are still going strong.  We have four of them.  They are our very favorite water bottles for kids.  They also make great Thermos containers for food.

Yumbox Originals
We have used Yumboxes for 2 years and they've held up so well.  The initial cost is a little pricey for a lunch box, but knowing that they'll last you for YEARS makes it all worth it.  I hand wash ours to take extra good care of them.  The little compartments are so easy to fill, they are perfect for kids and they save you tons of $$$ since you won't be buying ziploc bags.  The Yumbox Original is our favorite style, but they also have a style called Yumbox Panino that holds a whole sandwich, a smaller Yumbox snack size and a Yumbox Tapas that is more for older kids/adults. 

Cookie cutters are a fun way to make sandwiches interesting.

Cat & Jack food picks are our favorite.  They're under $2 for each of these sets.

Glitter silverware.  Walmart has this set in stock right now and we save it for lunches.

Fun napkins.  These napkin notes came from Meijer.

Mini rainbow forks.  I found these at Hobby Lobby.

We bought a couple sets of these food picks last year.  They're great quality and work perfectly with the yumboxes.  Olive uses them as little forks to pick up her food.  She brings them home every day in her yumbox.  I wash them and we reuse them again and again.

Here's our lunch box set up.  I love the Pottery Barn Kids lunch boxes.  I picked this one up on a super sale for under $10 last Summer.  They run big sales at off times so keep an eye out for them.  I love these flat ice packs, lunch boxes that are insulated with a water bottle pouch on the outside and we always attach a hand sanitizer bottle to the lunch box.

What are your must have lunch box supplies??

Here are some affiliate links to all our favorite products:

Napkin Notes

If you've been around here for any length of time, you know that I feel strongly about packing delicious lunches for my family.  That mostly consists of school lunches these days, but it's really important to me.  I plan for, shop for and budget time for packing lunches every week.  It's a big HUG FROM HOME from me to my kids every day.

Napkin notes are something that I include with almost every lunch I pack.  I don't always write the notes on a napkin, but you get the idea.  It's a little note from me to them to read as they enjoy their lunch.

I grew up on napkin notes.  My parents both wrote me lunch box notes and I still have a little stash of those notes from the 80s as a keepsake.  They kept the notes short and sweet.  They put encouraging words, reminders and sweet messages.  I try my best to do the same.

1980s Napkin Notes:

I love these notes so much!  You'll notice a theme - I've always loved cats, loved a handwritten note, appreciated encouragement and apparently have always been sneezy.  Thank heavens for allergy meds.  And country blue was all the rage in the 80s.  It's a good mix of notes from mom, notes from dad and one from my siblings.

2020 Napkin Notes:

 

I try to include specifics about their days - enjoy PE today!  Or good luck on your math test!  I can't wait to have lasagna with you for dinner tonight!  Movie night: Minions tonight after dinner!  Or include some encouraging works - be kind, be a good friend, you are really special to me or I can't wait to see you after school!  I also like to look up kid jokes on Pinterest for some funny jokes.  I usually read Fletcher's note to him in the morning so that he knows what it says since he's an early reader.  Olive reads her own note.

Take turns being the author.  I write most of the notes, but I rotate through Kevin, Leo and the cats when I need some fresh note content.  They love getting a post it note full of scribbles from Leo or a cat note from the cats- hurry home and pet me!  I miss you meowy much.  You get the idea :)

Any kind of paper will do - a napkin, a note pad, an index card, a post it or little note cards meant for lunch boxes.  Your kids won't care!  Post its are the easiest so do whatever works best for you.  I use a variety of all of those for my lunch box notes.  The kids love reading them each day and be sure to give me grief if I forget their note :)

My lunch box note inspiration:

Caption bubble napkins from Meijer.

Toddler notes:

Stick the post it notes to the counter and let your toddler write :)

Sometimes I trace Leo's hand on notes and then he colors them.

Post it note + a fun napkin (save all of your party napkins for school lunches!  Remember when the boys had a donut party back in the spring??)

I really love these boxes oof lunch box notes from Aldi.  They were so affordable and are surprisingly sweet!

The Dollar Tree sells these cute shaped note cards.  They're marketed to teachers in the teacher section, but they are perfect for school lunch boxes.

 

If you need a little more inspiration for your own napkin notes, I'd recommend reading this book: Napkin Notes: Make Lunch Meaningful, Life will Follow by W. Garth Callaghan.  I grabbed a copy at the library this month and I really enjoyed it.  Callaghan faced many challenges that inspired him to write Napkin Notes for his daughter.  His stories were compelling, interesting and inspiring.  

You can find it on amazon through my link here along with some cute note card options:

 

Who could you write a Napkin Note or a note of encouragement to today??

School Lunch Ideas // Yumboxes

It's been a while since I have shared school lunch ideas on the blog.  I share them often on instagram @polkadottyplace and you can also find tons of ideas if you search #polkadottyplaceyumbox.

I feel really strongly about packing my kids yummy lunches.

I think of them as HUGS FROM HOME in the middle of their school day.

So much of what they do at school is totally out of my control, but I know that they'll feel loved, cared for and special when they open their lunch boxes at lunch time every day. Sometimes I include a note, sometimes it's a fun holiday napkin and then other days it's just a lunch of their favorite foods.

I try to do a healthy mix of foods to fill their Yumboxes.  We have been using them for 4 years now and are still big fans.  They are so durable, save me from wasting a ton of plastic every day and it is faster for me to fill each compartment in their yumbox instead of tracking down lots of tiny containers for their food.  We label them with first and last names and have never lost one.  I even chased down the bus one time in my car to get Olive's lunch box :)  We'd highly recommend them.

But if you have a child that loses things often or has trouble keeping track of the things you send to school, I would not recommend a yumbox.  They're an investment ($28-30) and not worth the risk of losing.  There are much cheaper options that are disposable.

 

A few tips:

1 // Add a fork and a spoon to give the kids options without eating with their hands.

2 // Save new foods for trying at home and then pack foods you know they'll love in their lunch box.  We often sample new foods when we are together at dinner.  That way we can talk about them and if the kids like the new food I can add it to their lunch.  I hate the idea of giving them a new food and them having to mess with not liking it at school.

4 // If your child likes their food really cold, put a thin ice pack on top and underneath it in their lunch box.

5 // Themes are fun - green day at school = a green lunch, holiday themed lunches, etc

6 // Ask for feedback on things your kids didn't eat.  Often they'll say they just ran out of time, but sometimes they'll say I really didn't like _________ in my lunch. 

My kids love turkey sausage & sharp white cheddar cheese.  Crunchy veggies and hummus, too.

We all love DOTS pretzels.

Mini Oreos, bite sized fruit and Gardettos.

Turkey sausage & turkey pepperoni.  Cold pasta and mini Reese's cups.

Green lunch!

Hard boiled eggs, kiwi & mini cheeseballs are current favorites.

White cheddar cheetos.  Sandwiches cut into fourths to fit into their container.

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

What do your kids love to eat in their lunches?

I'll include a few of my Amazon affiliate links below to our favorite Yumboxes.  We have both the Yumbox Original and Panino.  We all prefer the little compartments in the original.  Thanks for supporting Polka-Dotty Place!

School Lunch Ideas + Yumbox Love

Hey, Friends!  Everyone is home today because all of the schools and colleges are closed!!  It's SO COLD - I'm talking a high of 4 today.  Yikes!!  Stay warm.

My five year old has been using a Yumbox lunchbox for 1.5 years.  She loves it.  I love it.  We're all big fans.  She uses a thermos for ice water every day and I pack her lunch every single day.  She made me promise to never, ever make her eat school lunch - ha!  I love that they are almost zero waste, that I don't have to use any ziploc bags or Saran wrap to keep her food items separate.

I've mentioned this before, but I have a very specific mission for packing lunches.  I want to send a healthy meal with her to school and I want to fill her lunch box with favorites so that it feels like a

HUG FROM HOME

in the middle of her day.  I do the same thing for my husband.

Who wouldn't love a hug from home half way through the day!?!?!

I have a pretty good routine going for packing lunches.  Here are a few tips:
1. Always pack lunches the night before.  Some times I pack lunches right after dinner as I'm cleaning up the kitchen or sometimes I do it after everyone goes to bed.  Either way, lunches ALWAYS get packed the night before so that I do not have to think about it in the morning.  I have three Yumboxes that we rotate all week long.  I hand wash them (even though they are dishwasher safe for the top rack) and always have at least one clean and ready to go.

2. Meal plan & Grocery shop regularly.
I make an effort every week to have lots of healthy options on hand for lunches and meals.  I do all the grocery shopping at our house.  If I don't shop/plan, then none of us eat great.  I happily take on this responsibility for my family because A. I love to cook and B. I love taking care of my family.  It isn't always a ton of fun to do all the shopping, but I enjoy it more when I have a happy heart about taking good care of my family.

3. Get feedback.
What did they love or hate in their lunches?  Make changes accordingly.

4. Avoid grumbling about this task.
The other day Olive told me that her lunch was the highlight of her day and it made my day.  It makes me so happy to hear that she feels loved, cared for and special when I do this for her.  Which brings me to the point of not complaining about the dishes or the task of packing lunches.

5. Prep food
I chop carrots in bulk, keep apples washed and ready to chop in the fridge, have a drawer with all my lunch making supplies in it and  set up a routine.

Hope those are helpful as you're packing lunches for your family!

Here are some inspiration pictures of lunches from January:
I try to post them on my IG stories during the week.  Follow along @polkadottyplace if you're interested in seeing more lunch ideas.

Snap peas & crunchy veggies.
Oreos are always a welcomed treat.
I found these cute heart food picks at Dollar Tree.

Hummus & Carrots
White cheddar and sharp cheddar cheese cubes

Cucumber spears
Wheat Thins

Taco Lunch - tortilla chips, taco meat balls & cheese cubes
Fresh cute pinapple
Mini shell plain cooked pasta

Skinny Pop Popcorn
Cucumber slices, strawberries and turkey sausage links

I rarely make baked goods for lunch boxes, but this week I had some extra pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to add into the lunch box.
Blackberries

We tried and loved Aldi pretzel sticks
Fun size Hershey bar

Cheese cubes, crackers and turkey pepperoni
cooked noodles
Honey Crisp apple slices

Almonds
Mini forks are a fun way to keep germy hands off of food.  I found these by the toothpicks at Meijer.

Chex mix is always a hit

Sandwich bites - half a sandwich cut into thirds or fourths.
Fritos and cheese cubes

 
We love these lunch boxes!!  Hope you got some new ideas for packing school lunches.

What are your kid's favorite lunch box items??  I'm always up for new ideas.

Our favorite lunch packing supplies on Amazon:



These are THE BEST thermoses for kids.  They are insulated and easy for both my 2 and 5 year old to use.  They hold up really well for school, home and sports.

I also keep one of these hand sanitizer jelly wraps on her backpack and her lunchbox.