Cure for the Common Lunch

I got really tired of sitting down to Math (30 min) after luncheon and hearing "I'm hungry."
Really tired.

I decided packing a lunch like 'regular' kids might help.
So this year I bought 5 insulated lunch bags, and made sure we had enough little Tupperware containers for sandwiches, a fruit/vegetable, and dip/yogurt/pudding stuff. I know this is what most people do--it had just never occured to me before since my children are home and can sit down to a nice hot homecooked meal-right?

 

I also took 2 hours and made 7 reusable snack bags from scraps with Bowery Bird. (That Summer Sewing Group is already paying me back!)  I used a tutorial from Cotton Bottom Mama. My friend, White-tailed Kite has an Etsy shop and sells these and other fabric bags--with much better craftsmanship, I assure you.

Snacks keep surprisingly fresh in the double-lined cotton bags, are environmentally friendly of course, and easy to wash after turning inside-out. The kids love having their own bag of the day.

I knew we would zip through snacks if I let them, so I started filling 20 snack bags a week. Variety is the spice of life, so I actually set aside some for the future, after I measure out the serving sizes from a bulk bag of things like:

• sesame seed cheddar cheese sticks
• yogurt covered and regular pretzels
• granola bars
• peanut butter cracker sandwiches
• caramel popcorn and peanuts
• fruit leather
• plain and chocolate covered nuts & raisins
• homemade granola bars

I keep all the baggies in a big bowl to choose one from daily when they make their lunches--so the shift to all cloth is gradual till I make more.

Every morning after breakfast I have out a sandwich station, snack bowl station, and fruit & vegetable station. They have to let me check their lunchbags to make sure there isn't a fruit leather and 5 tangarines in there (true story). It is their responsibility to fill their lunch bags enough to last till 3pm when they can have a home-baked snack from under the cake dish. They can't open their bags till 11 o'clock when we have lunch, but can eat as little or much as they want after that point. Oh-and vegetables have to be eaten & bags emptied cand put on the counter before they can have that cake-dish snack. .

Lunch is sooo much more relaxing now, as is the rest of the day in regards to food stuffs. Saved me a mess o' time & energy and also makes us ready for whatever the day brings.