Make the morning rush a little easier by incorporating these lunch-packing tips into your daily routine:
Write a Master Lunch List
Create a go-to list of your kids’ favorite lunch components. Organize it with categories such as protein, fruits and veggies, fiber and whole grains. This will make it easy to mix and match items from different sections to ensure the little ones are eating a balanced meal.
Leverage Your Leftovers
When choosing what to make for dinner, consider what meals may work well for lunches. A hot pasta dinner entrée can become a cold pasta salad for lunch. And leftover rice or veggies can be combined for a nourishing bowl topped with chicken, nuts and cheeses.
If you’re able, try to prep lunch components earlier in the week and store them in the freezer or refrigerator. Then, pop these ready-made items into the lunchbox the night before, and you’ll have one less task to worry about in the morning.