Time Saving Lunch Tips Packing Healthy Lunch. Life is simply too busy to pack a well-thought lunch at 8am. Use these tips to ensure your kids get healthy lunches no matter what.

I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve failed at packing lunch.

Packing lunch isn’t my weak point, it’s the planning and doing part. I have good lunch-packing intentions: “I can’t wait to pack lunch this week! My homemade yogurt is going to be awesome for Wednesday’s Lunch!”.

Despite the very best intentions, mornings usually don’t go as planned: “Oh no! Wake up! We’re late.”. And with that statement (which is more of a sleepy raising of the voice), I roll out of bed, take a shower, serve a super fast (homemade) breakfast, and rush out the door. Life is simply too busy to pack a well-thought lunch at 8am. Who’s with me? Please tell me I’m not alone.

Friend, if you’re raising your hand,  I’m here to offer a glimmer of hope. But, not just hope, practical tips you can put into practice now to pack a healthy lunch and avoid the 8am rush.

Four Time Saving Tips for Packing Healthy Lunches

1. Make a Plan: A plan is essential for packing healthy lunches. Sit down each week (I prefer Saturday morning) and think about the week ahead: “What does our schedule look like? Will I need to pack a daily lunch?”

Then, it’s time to plan! Keeping a list of family favorite lunch ideas can cut down on planning time.  Write your plan on paper or a calendar, listing the meals you plan to pack each day. There’s no need to be fancy.  Think about meals that are easy to pack, such as: leftovers, smoothies or applesauce in Little Green Pouches, homemade muffins/pancakes/waffles from the freezer, sandwiches, or build-your-own Lunchables. Star or highlight all the meals that can be prepared in advance. Set aside an hour to prepare for the week ahead.

Time Saving Lunch Tips Packing Healthy Lunch. Life is simply too busy to pack a well-thought lunch at 8am. Use these tips to ensure your kids get healthy lunches no matter what.

2. Stock the Right Gear: With the right gear you can prepare almost an entire week of lunches (and breakfast) without needing to wash and reuse supplies throughout the week. I like to use: a set of bento-style lunch boxes, Little Green Pouches (smoothies, applesauce, dips, yogurt), and sandwich-size baggies (cut veggies and fruit).

Time Saving Lunch Tips Packing Healthy Lunch. Life is simply too busy to pack a well-thought lunch at 8am. Use these tips to ensure your kids get healthy lunches no matter what.

3. Prepare Food in Advance: Set aside an hour each week to prepare food in advance. Cut fruits (tossed in lemon juice) and veggies, make waffles/pancakes for breakfast and lunch sandwiches, prepare and freeze smoothies and applesauce in Little Green Pouches, make homemade gummies, and cook a whole chicken for lunch meat. Even personal-size homemade pizzas can be prepared in advance. Use your lunch plan to help guide your prep time.

Time Saving Lunch Tips Packing Healthy Lunch. Life is simply too busy to pack a well-thought lunch at 8am. Use these tips to ensure your kids get healthy lunches no matter what.

4. Get to Know Your Freezer: Your freezer is designed for so much more than holding frozen fruit, meat, and ice. Freezing lunch-ready food is the answer to packing a healthy lunch in just minutes, without the worry of food spoiling in the refrigerator.

Sounds doable, right?

Taking an hour each weekend to create a plan, prepare food, and freeze extra meals can save stress and sanity during the week. Enjoy your coffee, shower, and breakfast, lunch is already planned and ready to go!

Time Saving Lunch Tips Packing Healthy Lunch. Life is simply too busy to pack a well-thought lunch at 8am. Use these tips to ensure your kids get healthy lunches no matter what.

 

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24 Comments

  1. I never thought of using a pouch like this for salsa. Love it! When I try to put salsa in my son’s lunch the container always leaks. This is brilliant!

  2. i would make nutritious smoothies and fruit/veggie blends for my toddler, and to start, single food pouches for my baby until he is ready for a bigger variety. my toddler STILL downs the plum pouches like crazy! until recently, she has refused vegetables since she transitioned from pureed foods! the pouches aren’t as much a novelty since she has heard others saying they are for babies, so i think having homemade “smoothies” in a reusable pouch will bring the novelty back. and the baby will probably follow in her footsteps and love pouches just as much. we really want to use these!!

  3. i would use the pouches to prepare baby food for my baby, as well as creating smoothies for my toddler. it would be just what i need to get started.

  4. First off, I would use the Little Green Pouches to save money and make less trash, by not buying the applesauce pouches both my girls love so much. They are such a waste of money! Second, I would use them as a way to get my girls to eat more vegetables. They eat plenty of fruit, but not nearly enough veggies. It would be fun to pair different ingredients and make them into purees or sauces to put in the pouches. Since fall is here, I’d mix pumpkin and winter squashes with apples or pears, apples and carrots, sweet potatoes and cinnamon, and even some pureed oatmeal with fruits, veggies and honey! Thanks for the wonderful giveaway!

  5. I would definitely freeze smoothies of all types, yogurt and applesauce for my preschooler. I love that frozen pouches double as an ice pack for the lunch box!

    Hadn’t thought of the sauce / dips tip – that’s great as DD gets older – Thanks!

  6. These pouches are the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time! I have grandkids now, so these would be so fun to make fun food for them! I wish I had these for my kids.
    Cheers,
    Lynda

  7. I love the idea of the little green pouches! Seems like a great way to pack so many things…yogurt, dips, applesauce, homemade fruit purees! YUM!

  8. These would be great for my 2 big kids in school as well as my on-the-go toddler and (eventually for) my newborn!

  9. I pack my breakfast and lunch daily during my work week. I would look to have this starter kit to use as well.