How to Efficiently Pack Kids' Lunchboxes

Setting up a "lunch packing zone" in my kitchen, and having ideas of simple lunch foods that my kids will actually eat, has helped me become much more efficient at packing their lunches every morning!

When my oldest son N was 2-years-old I was so excited to start making him lunches to take to preschool. The cute bento boxes, the different recipes I could try, and the idea that he was a big kid having lunch at school was so sweet to me. Flash forward 8 years and N is now 10, and I also have a daughter C who is 8 and a son A who is 4, so packing three kids’ lunches for that many years means I’ve had a lot of experience with what works well😊 I’ve also learned that packing lunchboxes doesn’t end just because school is out - there is always a camp, a family outing, a car trip, etc. that needs a packed lunch!

I am on a quest to streamline the behind-the-scenes work of parenting. So, after a few years of scrambling to get lunches packed every morning and realizing that the daily task of packing lunches is definitely a lot of work, I decided to figure out a system to help me be more efficient. After much experimentation I focused my efforts on what I found to be two of the main issues faced when packing lunches - gathering the right materials to pack the lunch and how long it takes to decide what to make and then the time it takes to make that food. With that in mind, this is how I solved those issues:

1. I decided to rearrange the storage in my kitchen to create a “lunch packing zone.” This area helps me find everything I need quickly so that my lunch packing time is very efficient. I made sure my supplies are in one area together, are close to my fridge and pantry, and that there is room on the countertop to make the lunches.
2. I also learned that it’s best to keep the food I pack simple for both me and for the kids. I love looking at all the beautifully filled lunchboxes on Instagram, but for me I just want to make sure to have a balanced meal that my kids will actually eat that I can put together quickly each morning. And, with three different kids who have different appetites and preferences, I need to spend my time focusing on what they’ll eat as opposed to making it look perfect!

Here is how I set up my “lunch packing zone”:

• I chose an area in my kitchen that has a column of drawers and cabinets that are separated by a countertop, and that are within arm’s reach of the fridge and pantry
• Designated a drawer for the lunchboxes and their containers
• Designated a drawer for kid utensils
• Designated a cabinet shelf dedicated to the kids’ water bottles that is directly above the lunch boxes
• Cutting board to the left of the station
• Fruit bowl on the countertop within reach
• Enough room on the countertop directly above the drawer and below the water bottles to put the lunch boxes on top of when filling them – I use a countertop that I use for other items (Vitamix, coffee maker, Nutribullet) – since the lunch packing part of the day is so short, I figured why keep a countertop empty all day when I can use that area to store other items

These are my go-to simple food ideas for my kids’ lunchboxes:

• I mainly use PlanetBox lunch boxes (on sale right now!) for ease of opening and closing, ease of cleaning, and how durable they’ve proven to be – we’ve been using them since N(10) was in preschool at age 2 – and we’ve gone 8 years without one ever breaking! But, these simple ideas can be applied to any kind of lunchbox. I also use LunchBots stainless steel containers and Thermos containers for items like pasta, soup, chili, etc. Quick Thermos tip: while I’m making the hot item I’ll fill the Thermos with hot water (that I will pour out before adding the warmed food) so the container will be warm when I eventually add the warmed food.
• I think of the main section of the lunchbox/the Thermos container as the “entrée” and fill it with items like:
  • Sandwich/Wrap: sunbutter and jam (my kids’ schools are nut free), turkey and cheese, mini bagel with cream cheese and jam
  • Pasta: leftover turkey marinara penne dinner, leftover mac n cheese dinner, plain pasta with parmesan (often easier to use pasta shaped like wheels or bows for school lunches since twirling spaghetti can be difficult)
  • Soup/Chili: leftover homemade from dinner that week
  • Quesadilla: refried beans/black beans and cheese – use canned beans and spread them onto a tortilla then sprinkle cheese or add slices of cheddar cheese, put into pan and heat both sides until cheese is melted then cut into easy pieces for kids to handle (these steps take max 5 minutes)
  • Avocado roll: grab one the night before from the market for a quick entrée
  • Dumplings: from the freezer that are heated up and will be room temp at school
  • Chicken Tenders: from the freezer that are heated up and will be room temp at school
  • Egg burrito: eggs/cheese/meat/beans (leftover from breakfast or breakfast the day before)
  • Pancakes/Waffles: Kodiak protein pancakes and waffles cut into bites with a small container of maple syrup for dipping
  • French Toast: homemade French toast cut into sticks for dipping into a small container of maple syrup (leftover from breakfast that day or a day before)
  • Taco Bowl: rice, beans, meat, cheese, tomatoes in a container they can mix together (leftover from Taco Night)
• In the side sections of the lunchbox I add some of these:
  • Fruit: cut strawberries, cut apples, a clementine for them to peel
  • Veggies: cut carrots, cut celery, cut cucumbers, sugar snap peas and sometimes a small container of hummus to dip them in
  • String cheese, circle cheese, rectangular cheese
  • Pretzels, graham crackers, pita chips, roasted seaweed snacks
  • Yogurt dots
  • Granola bar/kids protein bar
  • Cut up pieces of leftover breakfast sausage
  • Hardboiled eggs
  • One homemade item: this is a great/quick side section filler to have on hand – for me, this usually means muffins or a banana bread type of baked good, and since I try to have a freezer full of muffins, if I don’t have fresh muffins I can always take one out and defrost it in the microwave for 20 seconds then add it

When I know I have a busy morning coming up, the night before I will write on a Post-It what my lunch entrée idea is. I’ve found that if I have that entrée all set then I can add sides quickly – it’s the thinking of the entrée and the preparing of it that takes the most time during those precious/crazed morning minutes!

I hope the idea of having a lunch packing zone helps you be more efficient when packing lunches, and that these food ideas spark some ideas for simple yummy lunches for your kids too!

❤️, Amanda, your Type A Mom friend