My daughter tells me that every day, she gets comments from other students about her lunches and how unfair it is that they do not have fresh, gourmet lunches like that. She has had several kids beg her to have me make their lunches at least one time before the school year ends. So now I find myself making birthday lunches for other kids once in a while.

After years of making lunches, I think most moms or dads get tired of the whole ritual, and let their kids buy lunch by middle or high school. What a shame. Making lunch is not hard and does not have to be time consuming.

I am a major cook. We enjoy eating at home more than going out, simply because the food is always better here.  It is not hard to be a great cook. Famous TV chefs would not be happy to hear me say that there’s no magic to cooking, and anyone can do it!

In our family, we save so much $ by not going out often that we can afford the finest freshest, organic ingredients. We do not consume any processed foods. And the truth is that even if your dinners out are very casual, whatever amount of $ you spend on those mediocre meals can be better spent on high quality ingredients for you to cook yourself.

Often I cook a bit extra for dinner so I can put it in my daughter’s lunch the next day. Examples:

  • Make a big salad for dinner with tons of veggies and grilled chicken. Set aside a lunch portion before you put dressing on it. It will be fresh and delicious the next day.  Just put the dressing in a separate container and your child can put it n the salad at lunch.
  • Roast a turkey breast for dinner. Make an incredible sandwich with the freshest bread for your child’s lunch.
  • Leftover pasta dishes are fabulous for lunch. I even put leftover garlic bread in the bag as well.
  • Mozzarella, tomato and basil sandwiches are awesome!
  • Grill or saute some chicken for dinner, and make a basil pesto mayo chicken sandwich for lunch the next day.
  • Make eggplant parm for dinner and then make a sandwich with the leftovers on crusty Italian bread.
  • Grill a bunch of veggies and them put them in the lunch with a bit of salad dressing. Yum!
  • Make spaghetti with turkey meatballs and then make a meatball sub for the lunch box the next day.
  • Stir fry with rice tastes great the next day!
  • Grilled pizza is amazing leftover!

Other items for the lunch box/bag:

  • Matchstick sliced carrots
  • Sliced apples with cinnamon and sugar
  • Hummus with crackers
  • Greek salad with tomatoes, cukes and feta
  • Veggie sandwiches
  • Yogurt

Tips for packing lunches:

  • I found insulated disposable bags on line that keep foods cold or hot. Often gourmet grocery stores use these when selling prepared foods and ice cream. These are great, because my daughter does not have to bring a lunch box to school to lug around. She is in high school, and it is a bit embarrassing to have a lunch box at that age! I had to buy these bags in a quantity of 500, but that was a perfect amount to get my kid through high school.
  • I keep plastic containers that Parmesan cheese comes in to hold pasta and many other prepared foods.
  • I put salads in zip lock bags and then include a paper plate to put the salad on.
  • I buy small bottles of water. Not the pint size, because it is too heavy and gets wasted.
  • I recycle plastic forks and spoons we get from occasional take out.
  • Always include a paper napkin.

If you are really savvy, you could write funny, creative messages on the napkins. It can really make your child’s day!