I was asked after my End of Days post to share some of the things that make the school lunch
I have a big boy about to start Grade 3 and a big girl going into Grade 1. I don't know how that happened so fast when surely they are still babies?
Anyway I make up all their sandwiches for the week on Sunday and freeze them in individual sandwich boxes (I use both Tupperware and Nude Food Movers, big fan of the rubbish free lunchbox). If freezer space is an issue I stack them in a larger container with layers of freezer paper between.
Some fillings freeze better than others... In any given week my kids may be eating:
Cheese and Vegemite
Ham and Sauce (yuk one to me!)
Peanut Butter
with or without Jam
Honey
Cold Meat and cheese
Nutella if they are very very lucky once in a blue moon
Most cold meats, cheeses and spreads will freeze well. I steer clear of veggies which can go soggy as they defrost and my kids would just pull them out anyway.
I try to do a bake up of a weekend and stock the freezer with their snacks as well. You'll often find me baking:
Peanut butter cookies
Choc Chip Chia Cookies
Mini cinnamon scrolls (sans icing)
Easy peasy cheesy muffins
Too many biscuits
All of these freeze really well too.
I always include some fruit as well as veggie sticks which are chopped up and in a container in the fridge for the week.
As soon as the kids are in the door of an afternoon they pop their lunch bags on the counter and I empty and refill them along with their water bottles then the whole lot goes in the fridge.
Everything is well and truly defrosted by snack and lunchtime and I've not had any complaints so far (aside from the 'but everyone else gets packets of blah blah blah' which passes once they realize it isn't going to happen).
They are responsible for packing their bags in the morning and the whole system works really well for our family.
What are your top tips for school day organisation? Any fave freezable sandwich fillings to share?
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