Author: Mom
With a bit of preparation and practice, your elementary aged kids can pack a hot lunch independently before school in the morning. For us, it wasn’t an overnight success. It took a bit of skills development, practice, and a whole lot of patience. But now, our kids have developed a lunch packing process that (usually) doesn’t require my assistance. Mom is happier. Kids are happier. Your kids can learn to do it too.
Operation Food Prep
While this preparation strategy does require a bit of planning and one solid prep day a month, it makes our day-to-day so much easier. It also places a reasonable amount of responsibility into our kids’ hands. They have some choices about what they pack and how much.
Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce
Preparation
Once a month, I make an enormous pot of Bolognese Sauce, which is loosely based on the infamous NY times recipe by Marcella Hazan. The volume is about ten times the original recipe (the maximum volume that my pot can handle). It takes about 30 minutes of preparation time in the morning, 10-12 hours of simmer time throughout the day.
After the sauce is complete, I cook some spaghetti noodles, mix the spaghetti into the sauce, and slice and dice until the noodles are in nice bite sized pieces. I then portion them into glass storage containers and stash in the freezer for laster use. This process takes about 30-45 minutes in the evening.
This volume of preprepared spaghetti with bolognese sauce covers lunch meals for two kids, five days a week, for approximately four weeks.
Storage
We start every week with two freezer containers thawed in the fridge. When the kids finish one container, they fetch the next container from the freezer. This way, there is always a thawed container of spaghetti with bolognese sauce ready for them to easily scoop out in the morning.
In the morning, the kids heat up a single portion of the pre-mixed, thawed spaghetti with bolognese sauce in a microwave safe bowl. Then, they transfer it to their thermoses. We initially heated the thermoses with hot water before packing in the spaghetti, but Big Sis figured out that this was an unnecessary step (it was still warm at lunch time when she forgot to preheat). The thermoses fit nicely in their top lunch box pocket.
Morning Routine
In the morning, the kids heat up a single portion of the pre-mixed, thawed spaghetti with bolognese sauce in a microwave safe bowl. Then, they transfer it to their thermoses. We initially heated the thermoses with hot water before packing in the spaghetti, but Big Sis figured out that this was an unnecessary step (it was still warm at lunch time when she forgot to preheat). The thermoses fit nicely in their top lunch box pocket.
Fruits and Vegetables
The fruit and vegetables are also prepared ahead of time. The kids cut their own fruits and vegetables. Their fruit options are apples, strawberries, and blueberries. Their vegetable options are cucumbers, and carrots. There are others that come and go seasonally, but these are our staples.
The kids pack their fruits and vegetable in their medium containers every Sunday and store them in the refrigerator. They each have five medium containers. One for each day of the week.
In the morning, they grab a snack container and pack it in the cold compartment of their lunch box.
"Chocolate" Black Bean Muffins
Once a month, we also make an enormous batch of chocolate black bean muffins . It takes about 30 minutes for them to make the batter (I can do it in about half the time), 30 minutes of cooling time, and 15 minutes of storage prep. This covers the daily snack for two kids, five days a week, for approximately four weeks.
The kids pack a black bean muffin in each of their small containers every Sunday and store them in the refrigerator. They each have five small containers. One for each day of the week.
In the morning, they grab a snack container and pack it in the cold compartment of their lunch box.
Lunchbox and Food Containers
With this combination of hot and cold foods, I went in pursuit of a dual compartment lunch box. There had to be a warm compartment large enough for a thermos. There also had to be a cold compartment for an ice pack and the fruit and vegetable container. After way too much searching, I stumbled across this lunchbox, this thermos and these containers. Everything packs in nicely.
High Sierra Stacked Compartment Lunch Box
Available at Amazon.com
Lunch Bots Thermal 8oz Insulated Food Container
Available at Amazon.com
There is plenty of room for a larger 12oz insulated thermos AND an insulated drink container.
Spencer Stainless Small & Medium Food Containers
Available at Pottery Barn Kids
