Starting at the beginning of this school year (2015-16), we began our journey of providing our boys with their own homemade school lunch. I reviewed all sorts of lunch boxes, thermos containers, plastic containers, freezer jars, and other necessities.
After trying to find the right items for their lunches, I settled upon a Fit & Fresh lunch bag with a plastic container insert at Wal-mart for around $15. The insert held a hard freezable pack with 2 smaller plastic containers. There is enough space on the top for their short water bottles and thermos containers.
These bags work really well by keeping the food cold/hot. We went to several stores trying to find the Thermos brand containers with the stainless steel insert. I did not want just any brand, especially those with a plastic interior. At one Wal-mart, they had one Thermos brand with the stainless steel interior left. We bought it and went to another Wal-mart on the other side of the city to see if there were any available there. I had no such luck buying just a plain jane one.
GG left work a few days later and decided to go to Target to see if they had any available. They had the character ones, so MG chose one character, and JK chose another. That way we (I) don't get confused when I pack their lunches. Usually, I wake up early in the morning to pack them. Since I have 3 boys to pack for, I need as much time as possible to pack them. (I know I could easily get them to pack their own. I want to make sure that they take something healthy to school.)
Last week, their school lunches consisted of the following:
Monday ~ Pasta and meat sauce of their choice (thermos), Mandarin oranges or fruit cup, Pretzels, cheese stick, and Ritz crackers
Tuesday ~ Ham and cheese Pita, salad with green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery, grapes, and Doritos
Wednesday ~ Hard Boiled Eggs, Tuna fish, Ritz Crackers, grapes, and Pretzels
Thursday ~ same as Tuesday
Friday ~ Taco Boats with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and chili meat, celery, grapes, Doritos, and peanut butter crackers
LB's lunch hour is at 12:35. I was able to eat with him in the lunchroom on Friday because I was substituting for a teacher and finished with the her duties. With it being so late, I was afraid that the hot food in the Thermos would not stay hot until the time he ate from the time I packed it. It, amazingly, wasn't cold or warm, but still quite hot. It has been a great experience with packing lunches. I just really dislike having to wash everything every evening for the next day.
I am from 'Cajun' country and our dinner menu is usually some that is very 'Cajun.' I do try to mix it up from time to time. (I really need to get pictures of our dinners to upload on here. :-))
On Monday, I took a day out and we ate from Taco Bell. (We don't eat out often.) It was SO good. We hadn't eaten there in quite awhile.
Tuesday, I didn't work, so we had Crockpot beef roast with medium grain rice and corn.
Wednesday, I baked some pork steaks, made some Suddenly Salad classic pasta, and green beans.
Thursday, GG and I cooked Taco Boats (The leftovers were put in the boys' lunch boxes the next day for them to have lunch.)
Friday, I put some chicken leg quarters in the Crockpot before leaving for work. I seasoned them really well. We had rice and broccoli with it.
These are just some examples of what I like to cook during the week. When I am working during the day, I like simple meals. I need to start a meal plan like I did last year. I got out of the habit of doing so. I need to make a meal plan for the boys' school lunches, as well. That way, when I go to the store, I know exactly what I want for the two weeks between GG's checks. I don't want to have to run to the store for something that I forgot when I should have made a list. ;-)
Hope you have a wonderful and safe Labor Day!
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