Making Lunches That “Stack Up”: Lunchbox Time Savers

Making Lunches That “Stack Up”: Lunchbox Time Savers​
by Sara Lynn, RN BSN

I don’t know about you, but I have no time to waste during the week. I’ve found that through a little preparation, I can create healthy, affordable, and quick sack lunches for school, work, picnics, or even a road trip. These tips also double as great grab-and-go snacks. These time-saving tips will offer a fresh perspective on packing sack lunches that “stack up” to carefully curated lunches made by those moms with too much time on their hands. Wherever they are.

I don’t know about you, but I have no time to waste during the week. I’ve found that through a little preparation, I can create healthy, affordable, and quick sack lunches for school, work, picnics, or even a road trip. These tips also double as great grab-and-go snacks. These time-saving tips will offer a fresh perspective on packing sack lunches that “stack up” to carefully curated lunches made by those moms with too much time on their hands. Wherever they are.

Use Your Freezer
Frozen additions to a lunch bag add versatility to the options you can pack and increase food safety. Kids love sandwiches. Try making ahead some peanut butter and jellies or meat and cheese sandwiches (mayo and mustard can be added later). This is a huge time saver, since you can make an entire week's worth (or month’s worth) at a time and you only need to clean up once. Your children may even be old enough to help! For adult meals, try freezing leftovers in glass resealable containers. It will double as an ice pack and start thawing before being reheated at lunchtime. Remember to label the lids with the contents and date, so you can rotate options. 

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Organize Your Fridge
The fridge is a great place to store tons of grab and go items: apples, oranges, cheese sticks, you get the idea. However, when everything is stored in a different location, it can get a bit daunting to open 3 different drawers to find what you’re looking for. My recommendation is to store all items that are “lunchbox approved” in one area of the fridge. This will encourage little helpers to pack their own meals. In this photo, I have veggies portioned out into stasher bags, a collection of cheese sticks, and pre-portioned apple sauces. The options are endless for what healthy foods you can portion out in advance. 

Create a Snack Drawer
So often I hide food out of my children’s reach and eyesight. (Maybe I do this on purpose…. hmmm 😉). However, it means they will definitely need my help, or risk breaking something (themselves or the house) trying to get it themselves. While I do know where to take them should they get hurt (IFM of course!); the goal is to save time in the first place. Creating a snack drawer that is within reach and filled with those “lunchbox approved” items is a true time saver and independence builder. Pre-portioned nuts, dried fruit, granola bars, and fruit leathers are a great addition to any snack drawer. 

30 Second Lunches 
Now, you have all the necessary pieces to create satisfying lunches for kids and adults, from ingredients you likely already have. Simply add a frozen entree, grab something fresh from the fridge and supplement with a treat from the snack drawer. To save even more time, try putting everything together the night before. For an added special touch, consider adding some “Lunch Mail.” A simple note found at lunchtime can help with back to school jitters and separation anxieties.

Bon Appetit!

Sara Lynn, RN BSN
“If you don’t invest in your health, no one else will.”