Today I am going to write about a topic that has frustrated me for a few years now. SCHOOL LUNCHES. Calling out all of my Homestead mom's out there who struggle with this very topic as well. So lets review what these frustrations are. First, if you google, school lunch box ideas, you see all these pretty pictures of apples and eggos cut up, etc. But let's be real here folks. If you cut an apple up and toss it in a tupperware or a ziploc baggies sealed, by the time they get to eat it, the apple slices have turned brown. Even if you do squeeze a shot of lemon on it, they still turn brown. My philosophy on lunches is, if I would not eat it then they wont either, so who ever eats thawed out eggo pieces, cold. First of all they get soggy even if you toast it first, so there is that. Also, many of these websites, suggest making sandwiches the night
before...hmmm....really, an egg salad sandwich is soggy by morning kept in a ziplock or container sealed. Lettuce on a ham sandwich is wilted and the bread again is soggy. Maybe a jam or peanut butter sandwich is good to make the night before, but which school allows peanut butter sammy's, not any I know in Canada.
Now lets look at some options for snacks. Fruit roll ups, fruit gushers, or any kind of chew fruit snack. The dentist has strongly suggests that the sticky stuff sits all day between their teeth and it is the worst snack to put in their lunch. The same goes for juice boxes, drinking juice is apparently terrible for kids teeth. Ok I would agree to an extent.
My daughter takes a water bottle, but it cannot be a plastic store bought water bottle like Nestle type, because the school has taken a stand on the environment and how it is not good for the environment. But, now they cannot take it in a metal non BPA Water bottle because the bottle must clear, to be able to see the contents, so you have the Plastic clear water bottle, that most of them contain the BPA, so there in lies some further frustrations.
My child's school does not have a cafeteria so, I am restricted to what I throw in her lunch. Now let's talk about, snack boredom. It is December, she is now bored of Apple Sauce, Yogurt, granola bars, Cheese and crackers, goldfish crackers, Cheese strings. So now what? I alternate every week and everyday. I Always put raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or grapes in her lunch. I also rotate, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, button mushrooms, celery, carrots and green peppers. I always put 2 fresh fruits and 2 fresh vegetables.
Now lets put a twist on this. SHE IS A VEGETARIAN. So not meat. I did send her with hard boiled eggs once and the entire class laughed at her when she opened the container and the odor lingered throughout the classroom.
I have tried pita breads, to avoid the soggy bread. But the lettuce and mayo and tomato and cucumber made it soggy still. I have tried soups in a thermos, and they are cold by 11:45 am. They are not allowed to use the class microwave, as they are worried about the kids burning themselves, and there are not enough classroom monitors to ensure that they don't. There is one monitor for 3 classrooms. So there's that.
So fellow mother's out there battling the school lunch drama, each and every single morning, please do shed some light, help a mom out. Can you please send me your suggestions, thoughts, comments to help me out. I would appreciate this very much.
Happy LUNCH DRAMA Trails
Image Sources:
https://tupperwareman.co.uk/products/sandwich-keeper
http://www.kidsstoppress.com/2017/06/hacks-to-ensure-your-lunch-box-sandwiches-never-get-soggy/
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/55028426669381889/?lp=true