One of the best ways to save money is to pack your lunch, instead of eating out. Eating lunch out when your working can cost $5 and up a day! And cafeteria lunches for kids are getting expensive too!
These days it’s easy to pack lunches. There are insulated lunches to keep things cold, nifty containers to keep sandwiches from getting squashed, and (not the most frugal option) lunchbox sized foods to make packing lunches easy!
Jenn and I will be sharing more about packing lunches on Frugal Coast2Coast tonight at 8:30 EST/5:30 PST. Be sure to tune in! And if you can’t catch the show tonight, you can also listen to the archive on Blog Talk Radio or download it from iTunes.
Lunchbox Builder
To get kids (and their parents!) excited about packing lunches this school year, Motts, Smuckers, and Pepperidge Farms have launched the Lunchbox Builder, a fun tool, where you can design your own lunchbox, add it to the lunchbox gallery, and rate other people’s lunchboxes.
An added bonus to the site is that you can download coupons for Mott’s Applesauce, Smuckers Uncrustables, and Pepperidge Farms Goldfish. As a super-bonus, if your lunchbox is one of the highest rated lunchboxes, you will win a Lunchbox Care Package (like the one I’m giving away) directly from the Lunchbox Builder site. (Click on the terms of use on the site for more information).
I’ll admit to never having tried Smuckers Uncrustables, but Motts Applesauce have been a staple in my kids’ lunchboxes for years, and Pepperidge Farms Goldfish are a favorite afterschool snack.
The Giveaway
As part of the Motts, Smuckers, and Pepperidge Farms Lunchbox campaign, they sent me a lunchbox care package to try, and they’re letting me give one away to a fortunate reader!
Let me tell you, this prize package is awesome! It’s worth approximately $150, and it includes:
- An iPod Shuffle
- An insulated lunchbox
- Sharpie pens in multiple colors
- Colored Pencils
- A Smuckers Uncrustables Container
- An Optical Mouse
- A Smuckers Belt Pack
- A Motts Reusable Shopping Bag
- A Smuckers Strawberry
- Pencils
- Coupons
- A Walmart Gift Card
- A Pedometer
In addition, the winner will be receiving 5 Labels for Education, worth 10,000 points each, which can be used by your child’s school!
How to Enter
To enter, just leave a comment on this post and tell me what you like to pack in your child’s lunch.
For an extra entry, subscribe to the Frugal Coast2Coast Newsletter on the Frugal Coast2Coast website. Right now it’s just an email reminder of our show, but we’re planning to expand it in the near future. It will include content not available here or on Frugal Upstate. And it might include giveaways from time to time, too! Your email address will not be used for anything else, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
If you subscribe to the newsletter, make sure you use the same email address you use when you leave a comment, so I can validate your extra entry. And in your comment, let me know you subscribed, so I know you have an extra entry.
I will close comments and select a winner using a random number generator at noon PST on August 28, 2009.
The Other Legal Stuff
Contest is open to residents of the United States. Members of my family are not eligible to win. I will notify the winner by email, and the winner will have three days to contact me with a mailing address, or I will draw another winner.
The winner’s name and address will be passed along to the sponsor, and the sponsor will ship the prize.
So, what do you pack in your child’s lunch? Or your own lunch, if you don’t pack a lunch for your child. Or if you don’t pack a lunch, just tell me what you like to eat for lunch!
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My son loves sandwiches made on whole wheat mini bagels. For a treat, my husband will cut squares of cheese and circles of lunch meat to approximate “lunchables.” We try to balance fun stuff and healthy stuff on the side – I figure that if he eat all those bananas and berries, the occasional homemade Jell-o cups will be okay. (And he loves to “cook.”)
My son loves little cups and containers, and doesn’t like his food to touch (he’s 5). We got him a bento box, and put little bits of fruit, veggies, and sandwiches cut into shapes with cookie cutters into the little containers. He gets variety, his food doesn’t touch, and we don’t have a lot of waste from sending too much.
What fun! Don’t count me, because I don’t live in the US, but this is a great giveaway! I do have to admit that one of the experiences I miss about living in France is packing my kids’ lunch. Kids here go home for lunch or get picked up by their nanny, so the only time I pack lunches is for picnics!
As for my own lunches ;), I’m a big fan of leftovers…
Lately lunch has been a lunchable and sugar free jello.
since my kids are big eaters, I like fixing them wraps. They are a better healthier option and just as filling as bread sandwiches
just subscribed to ur newsletter
Cold Meat sandwiches and jello are great!
We will find out our son’s favorite this year as he was 1/2 day kindergarten. We will most likely pack PB and fluff (if PB is allowed), Applesauce, some salty snack, and juice. the cuts ups of cheese and deli meats sounds like a good idea as well.
Do any kids bring thermos with milk these days? It was a staple as a kid for me, not sure if kids these days still pack thermos with milk or if stores now offer juice box sized milk. I hate to fill our landfills with more waste.
can’t wait until school starts because my daughter has finally found a sandwich that she likes….peanut butter and honey on toast!!
Last year I packed a lot of lunches full of yogurt, fruit, tortilla chips, etc. So glad to begin to expand the menu!
One of the things I love to pack are carrot sticks with ranch dressing – it’s inexpensive and my kids love it! And some days on top of dessert :) – i pack a little toy or some bubble gum or something to keep them entertained :D !
Subscribed to the newsletter!
My daughter Sarah loves when I send tomato soup in her lunch. Especially on a cold montana day. Otherwise, its a sandwich, applesauce, granola or cereal bar and a sweet something.
just subscribed to the newsletter
Well, my daughter is only 18 months old, so I don’t pack lunches for school yet, but we do a ton of picnics and park trips, trips to the zoo, etc and I always pack her lunch. I aim for her lunch to be something from all the food groups, although I realize the food pyramid is no longer necessarily the standard of good nutrition. I usually will give some fruit, like blueberries or grapes, some cut up cucumber or broccoli, a little bit of cheese (just milk if we are at home) and then ,maybe some cooked beans or chicken. Hard boiled eggs are also great on the go.
I like to pack vegetarian sandwiches with different breads and fruit along with yoghurt. Sometimes a vegan energy bar like Cliffs crunchy peanut butter. Variety is key for the little one even though he’s not too picky!
Madison (1st Grade) gets a sandwich (peanut butter and jelly or lunch meat and cheese), apple sauce, apple juice, and a chip of her choice. And we get 90% of that lunch at Sam’s, so we saved a nice chunk of change. For less than $100, we get 36 days worth of lunches for the most part (minus the sandwiches). :)
My favorite lunch is an open-top cheese sandwich – with a few pieces of fruit.
That also happens to be my favorite snack food. :)
I don’t have kids but I love little crackers, some tuna or egg salad, some dried fruit/nuts, and some homemade cafe latte mix so I can make a nice cuppa joe and not spend $5 at you-know-where. And if I am feeling lazy I love to just do pb & j with some iced tea.
I pack a PB&J sandwich (not the Uncrustable versions, lol), an apple (not applesauce) and Goldfish (if I don’t eat them all the day I get home from the store). I used to pack a Coke, but I kicked the soda habit last month, so my water bottle comes with also.
I pack as many vegetables and fruits as possible!
PB & J…..
frozen Gogurts
an apple
fruit leather…
some pretzels :D
PB&J is a staple! My son also likes baby carrots, applesauce cups, and grapes.
My husband and I are still just packing for ourselves, but our favorite thing to pack is leftovers (otherwise we forget to eat them), and my favorite leftovers to pack are pot roast or homemade pizza.
I don’t have any kids myself but I’m in school and I always pack. I tend to bring some water, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a small little snack to go along with it or to eat later or before lunch. Chips or something. It really is cheaper.
I subscribed to your newsletter. Same email I’m commenting with.
I’ve got four kids and their tastes are somewhat varied, but there are always a few things that everyone likes. PB&J is pretty popular, as are peanut butter crackers, yogurt, cheese sticks, goldfish, grapes, pretzels, and applesauce or fruit cups. My oldest son has been packing veggie & hummus sandwiches for about a year and loves them.
My daughter loves baby carrots and hummus.
I like to make a big batch of brownies or cookies on the weekend and separate them into individual snack bags to pop into lunches for the week. When I make double batches, I throw the snack bags into the freezer and when I am in a hurry, I make lunches the night before, throw in frozen goodies and its ready for lunch time the next day.
We are big fans of string cheese in the lunchbox!
Subscribed to the newsletter too! :-)
Thermos of tomato soup, tuck a hot dog inside pack a bun , hollow out an apple (like a pumpkin) fill center with peanut butter replace top .
subscribe coast 2 coast
Oh, what a great give away. I love packing my kid’s lunches because its frugal, totally nutritious (if not laddened with junk food), and I can get creative or can get rid of leftovers in my fridge.
Thanks for the link to the lunchbox builder. Can’t wait to try it out. Wish I knew about the Frugal coast to coast sooner. I missed it. Sounds great though.
With 3 kids ages 15, 13, & 11 it’s hard to convince them to pack their lunches. But last year my oldest packed his lunch because he realized he had more time with his friends during lunch instead of standing in the lunch line. He usually packed Ramen noodle soup, not the healthiest, but he is a picky eater and that is all he would eat. This year he has decided to try school lunches again but my daugher is going to pack this year. She is my healthiest eater so I know there will be fruit & veggies in her lunch! No Ramen noodles for her!
I grew up in Australia so I go traditional – Vegemite Sandwiches all the way. :)
I’m so glad to have found this blog! I came here via Kate at “A Simple Walk” and “Cooking During Stolen Moments”, both blogs I have just found tonight, as well! I tell ya, God is working OT tonight in my life. :)
Our kids are 9yrs and 6yrs and, by far, their favorite lunch to have is anything in a tortilla. Lunch meat, shredded veggies, shredded cheese, micro for 30sec and then wrapped in foil. PB and J works great in tortillas, too! I signed up for the newsletter on the Coast2Coast website and am looking forward to hearing my first broadcast. Thanks!
My kiddo is only 4 and stays home with me, so I don’t pack a lunch for him, but I do pack one for hubby everyday. He usually gets the leftovers from dinner the night before, along with granola bars and an extra easy mac cup on the days that I know he will be working overtime.
We love mini bagel sandwiches – cream cheese and salami or PB&J. Cereal mix (cheerios, craisons, pretzals, Fruit Loops), apple slices, and frozen chocolate milk round it out. When I was little, the chocolate milk was usually still frozen at lunch, so I would cut open the box and have something close to a frosty!
I homeschool so thankfully I don’t have to pack a lunch. My son is the pickiest eater and doesn’t really like anything you would put in a lunch. I always struggle with what to bring for him when we need to bring a lunch with us somewhere. :( My daughter is older and has attended a few camps and things where she needs to bring a lunch. Luckily she does like sandwhiches and basic lunch foods. :) Makes me thankful I homeschool. We just heat up leftovers. :)
My kids aren’t school-aged yet, but I’m a former teacher, so I have a lot of ideas from observation about HEALTHY school lunches. I posted them tonight, actually, here:
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/08/18/packing-a-lunch-healthy-food-to-go/
I also signed up for the newsletter.
Lately my daughter has been wanting soy beans and grapes for her preschool lunch. She doesn’t eat anything else I put in there.
Legally ineligable for prize, but…
Fruit Leather — Really do check the nutrition label. About 11 years ago, a boyfriend (very health conscious) loved a certain brand (unnamed). It was truly 100% natural, but when I checked the label, it surpsingly had almost no nutrients.
PB — Wonder food, but again check the labels. As posted previously, you would be surprised on what’s the most nutritous on the jarred stuff. The best bet is the GYOP (grind your own peanuts) — available in healthfood stores and in most nutrition sections of major markets.
Bread — Wheat, wheat, wheat, and 100% wheat (check the label — enriched is not 100% whole wheat). White bread is good for sopping grease and giving your family tons of white sugar.
My son loves peanut butter sandwiches, fruit roll-ups and baby carrots. For a treat, I pack home-made cookies or brownies.
I pack my lunch everyday and will start packing for my daughter next year when she starts kindergarden. Luckily she eats very healthy, so that should be simple.
For now some of my favorites include:
sandwiches – love to put cucumbers on deli meat right now
wraps
fruit – love the summer time options!
string cheese
pitas and veggies w/ hummus
cottage cheese and fruit
leftovers (this one will be tricky for her as she won’t have a microwave to use)
yogurt
english muffin pizzas
occassionally a homemade treat like muffin or cookie :-)
My kids love good old apples and oranges.
My daughter is almost 3 so she doesn’t have to pack a lunch yet, but I pack for me and my hubby. We take applesauce or fruit, yogurt, veggies, and leftovers or a sandwich.
I love making homemade caramel with apples for lunches. Absolutely delicious!
My daughter gets lunch provided by her day care. It saves me from packing her something which I absolutely love. For my own lunch I usually eat leftovers from whatever our dinner was the night before. I’ll also throw in a yogurt and some sort of fruit as a snack.
School here starts on Aug.19th !
So this year we have opted to back our Child’s Lunch to save on money and for the first week it will involve Chocolate Chip Cookies, Gogurt,Koolaid Jammers like Capri Sun drinks and Tortilla Roll Up or Cheese Quesedia for The First Day of Lunch for our child!
I pack a PB & J (either regular or the uncrustable) a fruit bar, apple slices and a juice box or water. I sometimes give her doritos or cheetos as a treat. She loves to take her lunch.
They get either a PB&J or lunchmeat sandwich, fruit, drink and cookie. Sometimes they get chips
My DS is not in school yet, but my DH and I both take our lunches to work everyday. My DH is kinda picky so he generally takes a lunchmeat and cheese sandwich, chips, and homemade cookies, a fruit and carrot sticks. I usually take leftovers or a salad with fruit, carrots, and some kind of homemade baked good as a snack.
I like to pack fruit either fresh or in a container,an milk to drink an some sort of sandwich,that changes each day,not always the same an some type of veggie
I subscribed to the Newsletter on the Frugal Coast2Coast website
I don’t have any kids yet, but I am a teacher so I pack my lunch daily (cafeteria food leaves much to be desired). I buy Lean Cuisines when they’re on sale for days when I’m rushed, but more often I bring leftovers from dinner the night before or salad, a cheese stick, and a protein bar.
My son loves to take his thermos of chicken noodle soup. He always insists on a napkin that I have drawn a picture on. I suspect that will become embarrasing soon but I love it:)
What’s in lunch today:
- plums
- carrots/dip
- tortillas
- daal
Delicious! Carrots and fruit are in there every day, but the main course varies – always a leftover from dinner.
I love to pack pizza strips for my guys. Leftover pizza sliced in finger food sized strips makes theri day!
I already subscribe!
She’s only two, so no lunch packing yet.
When my son does take his lunch to school I go for lunchables and include a juice box. Easy prep and he really enjoys it.
My DD usually get, “Ants on a Log” PB on celery with raisins or turkey & lettuce sandwich or veggie sticks with ranch dip, snacks are always a piece of fruit, a couple cookies or chips, and yogurt. To drink either ice water or juice box. And of course a note from Mom!!!!
For my son’s lunch I usually pack crackers, cheese, fruit and juice.
I’m a subscriber.
My daughter packs and is quite picky, so she usually ends up with a banana, pretzels, a “healthy” sweet – ie, muffins with carrots or zucchini hidden in it – and water or milk money.
Please don’t forget to remind your readers about applying for reduced or free lunches. We qualify, and my son buys a school lunch for 40-cents a day. Our schools encourage you to apply, even if your child packs or walks home for lunch, as they get more state money and aid for children on reduced or free lunches. Plus as much as my son eats, I would be hard-pressed to pack him a lunch for under 40-cents a day!
Thanks for a great giveaway!
I don’t have any kids (yet!) but I always bring a lunch to work. Its just too expensive to eat out all of the time. As much as possible I try to use leftovers from the night before to cut down on waste. I also keep some simple things like tuna and pb&j on hand for days when I don’t have leftovers.
I pack my husbands lunch (or he does if I’m too busy). When we go grocery shopping, we get enough hamburger meat to make dinner for us (on the grill, yum!) and have at least 4 left over for his lunches. We then wrap the leftover ones individually and pop them in the freezer. In the morning, I pack a frozen burger, a hamburger bun and an apple for him. My husband says that grilling them on a charcoal grill rather then an electric (like a Foreman) makes a huge difference in the warmed up taste and texture.
I have always packed my dh’s lunches and it is usually leftovers. Now I am about to start packing for 3 of my 4 kids. I am planning sandwiches a lot, and when it gets colder soup. I thinking that in the thermos I can put hot chicken nuggets or ramen too. I need ideas, so I can’t wait to read the comments.
I love to pack yogurt with frozen fruit (like blueberries or raspberries). The fruit helps the yogurt stay frozen and is also a natural sweetener for plain yogurt.
My kids aren’t old enough to be in school yet, but I plan to have them eat hot lunch often, if it seems to be pretty healthy. However, I NEVER got to bring my lunch growing up, and I want my kids to be able to have a day each week or maybe a couple days a month when they can opt out of school lunch and bring their own. It would be similar to what we pack for picnics: sandwiches or crackers and cheese, fruit, ALWAYS carrot sticks, and maybe a treat like chips or a dessert. I like the comment about packing milk to cut down on waste, so I would do that if I was sure it would stay cold. Thanks for a fun post!
My daughter tends to be a “picker” instead of an eater. I like to pack her an assortment – usually baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, either sliced cheese or a string cheese, a little container with tuna or meat salad, or sliced meat, and wedges of whole wheat pita to stack it all on. I usually pack a little container of fruit, whatever is in season and fresh and I usually top it off with a thermos of juice.
Occasionally, I’ll pack a thermos of whatever we had for dinner the night before, if it’s something “thermosable”
:)
Lalycairn (at) gmail.com
My daughter, a 7th grader, will generally take leftovers (I actually cook with leftovers for lunch in mind.) If we don’t have any leftovers she will take a peanut butter and honey sandwich or I will make pasta. She also takes her own water bottle and fills it at school.
I’ve been packing my lunch since 9th grade when there was no lunch facilities at the new school… so that’s over 40 years….. I like something crunchy, something sweet, and something filling in it, and it usually involves leftovers also. whatever is available goes into my lunch – I am NOT particular :)
The grandkids expecially like veggie sticks and “dippin’ sauce” (ranch dressing) in their lunch boxes :)
We take yogurt with granola & fruit to mix in, “homemade” lunchables, leftovers, salads, or Lean Cuisines – very rarely do we pack your standard sandwiches!
Oh – and I am a subscriber as well!
I like to pack simple, healthy, old fashioned PBJ (or Uncrustables), veges like carrot or celery sticks, and a piece of fruit like an apple or orange for myself or my rugrats.
I subscribed to the Newsletter at vindiciti@yahoo.com.
This is such a kind, generous giveaway! I like to give my little girl sandwiches for her lunch, we like ham, tomato, tuna, you name it- she is not picky! Thanks!
When my now adult daughters were in school they usually bought lunch but in lunches when they wanted they usually had a sandwich with turkey, cheese, mayo, and lettuce.
When they were old enough to make them for themslves they conned me into making them by telling me that my sandwiches tasted much better than theirs. Even now I have some “adopted grandkids that tell me “you always make the best sandwiches”!!!
My kids are all adults…..so what I like to pack in my lunch is….string cheese!
I’m a subscriber (and I call in too!)
This year, I have vowed to get really creative with lunches. I’ve collected magazine clippings and bookmarked sites with great ideas.
Firstly, I have decided that we will not be “wasteful” this year. I send my boys to school with “compartment” type lunch containers so that we do not have to buy or waste plastic baggies. A great example would be the divided dishes with covers, and an excellent lunchbox dedicated to this philosophy can be viewed at http://www.laptoplunches.com
The best idea yet has to be the “rollwiches”; made by quickly rolling soft bread slices (iron kids, mary jane, etc) into thin slats, filling them, and rolling them up.
My older son loves meaty salty foods, so I usually start by layering a small piece of green leaf lettuce, 2 or 3 thin slices of lunchmeat, some shredded cheese, and a few sprinkles of roasted sunflower seeds (out of the shell, of course), then I squirt a small amount of ranch dressing, just enough to “glue” the bread roll closed. The bread sticks to itself very well and makes a beautiful “taquito” style healthy main course.
For my younger son, PB&J becomes a lot less boring when it is rolled up. Roll the bread out, put the jelly in the middle and the peanut butter on each side of the jelly. Roll up. The peanut butter will hold the bread in place.
These are not messy! I have made these as snacks and watched my 6yr old fly up to me on his scooter, grab it out of my hand, and keep on scooting without making a mess.
Bonus* Cheaper than tortillas, using just 1 slice of bread per roll.
Next, I grab some pretzel sticks and poke them through cheese cubes and grapes, stacking them neatly into compartments.
I usually fill one compartment with yogurt, cottage cheese, or applesauce depending on what type of food is being “dipped” into it.
I have been known to create homemade “lunchables” by flattening refrigerated biscuits, baking them, then including a few pieces of pepperoni, some shredded cheese, and some pizza sauce.
Nachos are awesome as well. Grab some chips, leftover taco meat from last night, some cheese, and sour cream. Place into compartments.
A homebaked cookie might get tucked into a compartment once in awhile. (semi homemade, thanks pillsbury)
My kids absolutely LOVE (and finish) their lunches and all of their friends love to see what my kids have brought for lunch each day.
I get up a little early and in my toaster oven I make little Bagel Bites. I then put them on a rack to cool and so they don’t get soggy and then I pack them up! I include cut up pieces of fruit (applies, watermelon, cantalope). I then include a couple of crackers (wheat thins, rice cakes) and a juice box/bottle of water.
Also, they love Costco pizza for lunch.
Pudding snacks are great in a lunchbox!
mfalcon13 (at) hotmail (dot) com
We home school, but we pack a lunch for my husband. He likes leftovers and treats. I buy a package of chocolate at our local super store. It’s cheaper than hime hitting the vending machine for that 3:00 pick me up. As a family we never leave the house without a water cooler and snack cooler.
Wow, what a nice giveaway. I try to vary what I pack a lot. Certainly they get their share of sandwiches, chips and applesauce, but I also try to send pizza kabobs, homemade uncrustables (using Pampered Chef tool) and even leftovers of things they really like. We are fortunate that my kids have access to microwaves, so we can be more creative. Today, my younger daughter has a pizza lunchable (special treat) and my older daughter made herself a chef salad and pudding. Her making her own lunch was my special treat!
usually we pack leftovers. I include water and fruit as well. My boys like applesauce in there lunch as well.
Wow- everything I read in the comments are things that I do too, so I have nothing cool to add! We just strive for healthy and economical in our home.
Thanks for offering the giveaway!
Kashi crackers, laughing cow cheese/string cheese, peanut butter (yes, by itself), yogurt, pepperoni/ham/turkey, yogurt covered raisins, goldfish, Juicy Juice boxes/water bottles, an occasional homemade treat (cookie, rice crispy treats, mints), cottage cheese, radishes, pickles, and whatever else I found in the fridge. :)
I love to pack my lunch…being the frugalite I am. I love salads and I will use leftovers from the night before to make my salad great for lunch the next day…chicken breast with cesar dressing, etc.
THANKS for the opportunity to win!
I don’t usually pack a lunch. I bring whatever frozen food item I have in the freezer that sounds good that day. And I have snacks at my office for when my frozen food doesn’t fill me up. And I subscribed to your newsletter.
I usually pack a sandwich, fruit, yogurt, carrots or celery and water. After reading these comments, I think I might have some new ideas though!
thecitygirl74@gmail.com
I love to pack little slices of lunchmeat, crackers and cheese..a homemade lunchable! I always add some fruit,too. I have found that if I put in a little bit of several things instead of a couple larger things…they all get eaten. Less waste!
I was packing lunchables for awhile till my son decided to tell me he would rather have a sandwich made by me ( which made me feel really good)
So usually bologna and american cheese on wheat with white chedder cheese popcorn as well as either applesauce or whatever dessert was the night before and water or apple juice
And since he is just learning to read I write him little short notes something special too let him know I am thinking of him …..lol then he will come home and tell me all about how that note magically got into his lunchbox !!!!
My daughter loves to take cereal in a container to eat as a snack. just the basics in the lunch.
I subscribed to the newsletter. I usually bake homemade cookies or brownies to save the cost of store bought.
I pack my boys anything that I have on hand, they are not picky and eat like pigs!!
I like to pack sandwiches, low fat cheese w/whole grain crackers, fruit snacks, string cheese, juice, and an occasional homemade cookie as a treat now and then. I try to also pack a “love” or encouraging note to my daughter when she takes a cold lunch. Thank you for the awesome giveaway.
koinonia572001@yahoo.com
I have been trying for sometime now to subsribe to Frugal Coast to Coast, but everytime I click on the Subscriber to this Feed link, I get a page with a bunch of garbled words on it. So, at this time, unable to subscriber to get the extra entry. Thanks!
koinonia572001@yahoo.com
Well…I don’t have any kids but I pack my own lunch all the time. My favorite thing to pack is leftovers! I just make a little extra and stick in a container. Very easy.
I like to pack easy, convenient and healthy foods for my children for lunch.
I try to make use of our leftovers and you can usually find some yogurt in there too. And of course, a little surprise treat is fun too.
Since my daughter is 12 she packs her own lunch most days. I don’t know how she does it, but she makes a bologne and cheese sandwich for herself EVERY day. She varies the fruit and chip portion, but never on the sandwich. I try to get her to change it up some (e.g. PB&J or ham), but she is happy with the same thing every day. And if she is happy…Dad is happy!
My kids like to eat wraps for their lunch. It is an easy way to pack a healthy lunch.
I like to pack some cheese and crackers or a sandwich, some fruit (usually grapes or a sliced apple), sliced veggies and an oatmeal raisin cookie.
Great giveaway!
We put a sandwich, fruit, veg sticks, yogurt, pretzels and drink. I try to add a quick note for my boys to read while they eat their lunch. This is their favorite part of the lunch.
We rarely send lunches with our kids, since they get the free lunches at school, but when they have brought them it’s been sandwiches, or lunchables, with crackers, cheese and meat, and I put an apple or grapes with it. Thanks for the giveaway.
I like to pack her fruit, soy chocolate milk, a sandwich or organic spaghetti o’s and a sweet treat of graham crackers or rice cookies. She is starting Kindergarten in a couple of weeks, she would love a new lunch box.
I always pack my Madison’s lunch with a drink, sandwich, chips/cracker, fruit/veggie and, a sweet treat. The sweet treat never gets eaten and then when I leave it out she wants to know where it was?
All time favorite lunches would have to include pizza or tostadas, baby carrots and ranch, apples, and of course in their minds, chips.
I only wish I could still pack my college age son a lunch but he lives away from home. I do however save lots of $$ by packing my own lunch. One of my favorites is Laughing Cow Cheese and crackers with some grapes. The tangy and sweet go together perfectly.
I like to make it easy but quick and healthy. Usually green peppers & ranch, yogurt, a snack and a sandwich.
I pack p&j, fruit, a drink, whatever I have on hand. I must get more organized!!!!!
When I packed my kids lunch a favorite was a snack bag with chocolate bits, walnuts and raisins.
Since my son is the pickiest eater and only eats a few things. I pack whole grain bread with nothing on it because he doesn’t eat mixed food. I will also pack some grates and an apple and some yogos or fruit snacks.
PB&J, string cheese, pretzals, water and little candy bar of chocolate. Simple and tasty.
It’s best to pack things that don’t need to be warm or cold. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches get better as they soak into the bread. Baby carrots are wonderful, and some easy piece of fruit that isn’t messy: a banana or apple.
oat nut bread with mustard, pepperjack cheese and ham, sliced red pepper with hummas, grapes and a cookie.
We homeschool – but we are packing snacks and lunches daily to save time during the day, plus we go to a different house to school, though it’s a short walk. It also makes it easy to leave the house on short notice or take lunch outside on a nice day.
We pack veggie sticks and dip, cheese, trail mix, a bread type snack (granola bar, muffin, begal..), pretzals, fruit, pudding or yogurt or jello, and something for lunch – leftovers, a sandwich, chicken, whatever – try to change it daily.
I pack fresh fruit.
Variety. I send salads, muffins, pizza, leftover chicken, fresh fruit, natural snacks, unsweetened applesauce, bagels, pb&j, burritos, and on and on. With four small children I was always up to the challenge of what to pack for lunch, I took the challenge. My children know how to choose a balanced meal and a small dessert. There really are no rules for lunch, just feed them well.
I try to pack a healthy, well-rounded lunch for my son. It’s usually a sandwich, some fruit, some veggies, & water. Some times I’ll include chips or another treat if we happen to have them on hand.
I like to use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into puzzle pieces. Fruit and veggies are a must when we pack lunch.
My boys love apples, carrots and chocolate chips cookies :)
The old standby — peanut butter and jelly.
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One of my son’s favorites is dried apple chips. Very healthy, and feels like a treat!
I like to randomly surprise my kids with a “love note” in their lunches – often enough to make an impression, but not so much that they aren’t a fun surprise.
My 5 year old daughter has got to have PB&J, a cheese stick, an apple, and a bottle of water. It’s healthy, but I can’t believe she doesn’t get tired of it!
I also subscribed to frugalcoasttocoast and can’s wait to listen next week.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches always, seedless grapes, strawberries, apple slices, applesauce sometimes. Maybe I’ll throw in vanilla wafers, pretzels, Goldfish crackers, or a granola bar. We’ve got a picky eater.
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Sunbutter with mini marshmallows on a homemade uncrustable, using a drinking glass we cut and seal the edge of the whole wheat bread. Fruit and veggies that are on sale/in season that week. Our challenge is snack. In our school the kids are allowed to bring an unsweetened snack to eat at 9:30 each day. The repeat of fruit for snack and then lunch does not go over well repeatedly. We are always looking for new ideas.
Thanks for the opportunity to win the great prize and gain some helpful ideas.
My boys love a ham and cheese wrap on tortilla, because unlike bead, it does not get soggy. I usually pack some grapes and carrots and a cookie for dessert. Their favorite thing though, is applesauce! Sometimes, they ask for 2! Thanks for the giveaway! I really hope I win! My son is dreaming of a shuffle!
My favorite thing to pack is a peanut butter and banana sandwich on wheat bread. It is so good!
We homeschool so it makes it easier to provide a hot, nutritious, cost-conscious meal. I like to cook big pots of homemade vegetable soup or chili and freeze them in individual containers. I put them in the fridge the day before we plan on eating them so they will thaw a little. The next day during our lunch break I’ll put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
Old standbys: PB&J, yogurt sticks, snack packs or chips, fruit pieces, carrot sticks, string cheese sticks, juice boxes
New innovations: peanut butter pretzels, flavored water pouches, healthy PB rice crispy treats, honey sesame sticks, turkey wraps, edamame, cheese squares of Old Dubliner cheddar, organic chocolate soymilk, crackers and hummus
Depending on my energy level and what food is in the house, some days are the “old standbys” while other days are the “new innovations”.
My son does not really care for bread so I use a slice of cheese for the bread a wrap it around turkey or ham. He really likes these roll ups. I also freeze his juice boxes so they keep everything cold and we don’t loose the freezer packs any more. The other thing I do is bag up all the cookies, veggies and fruits on sunday night so I can just grab them in the morning. I love your show and please enter me in your contest. Thank you!!
My kids like spaghettios or something hot in a thermos. When we’re in a rush it’s pb&j!! We always pack a fruit cup and some other treat (like a granola bar). In fact, I’d better get a start on tomorrow’s lunch!
Thanks for the chance to win!
I like to pack leftovers in my kids lunches along with some fresh fruit. I have been reading about some new ways to pack exciting lunches and am getting ready to try those as well.
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No PB allowed so lunchmeat and mustard, fruit, cheese, fruit snacks are mandatory -vegetarian child takes cottage cheese, yogurt, hummus or leftovers.
My daughter loves Uncrustables – we usually send grape since that is what our Costco stocks. We also send in freeze dried apples, yogurt covered raisins and a cheese stick. Add a juice box and my daughter loves it!
some good snacks to include are : fresh fruit (apples, pears, peaches, etc), carrot sticks with hummus, falafel wraps or pitas, and some kind of whole grains like homemade granola bars!
oh, i also subscribed to the newsletter (currently waiting on the verification email). thank you for the giveaway!
My son will be starting kindergarten in just over a week, so we are new to lunch packing. He has requested wraps as that is what I like to take in my lunch. We’ve already discussed that he and I will work together after dinner each night to pack our lunches for the next day. This will help keep me accountable bringing my lunch as well.
In my OWN lunch, I like to pack leftovers, egg salad sandwiches, or just a baked potato!
My kids are going to start taking lunches Sept. 1. They bought in the cafeteria since Aug. 3. But they really don’t like the food…I really don’t like the PRICE!
Pack lunchces!
I like to make use of any leftovers we may have if possible. I also like to make sure they have fresh fruit / veggies which are great finger foods too. We try to make packing lunches a family discussion over breakfast.
My boys love PB&J and juce or water and string cheese
My boys love PJ&J either juice or water and string cheese.
My kids are old enough to pack their own lunches, but I always make sure we have lots of good stuff. They prefer homemade bread and rolls so I try to make sure we have some on hand. I also keep lots of lean meats on hand for sandwiches. They also like fruit, yogurt, cheese, and veggies and dip.
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I work a 10 hour night shift so I try to pack an assortment of healthy foods so I’m not tempted to eat out of the vending machine. Last night it was string cheese, almonds, crackers, carrots, chicken and grapes. I also frequently pack left-overs, applesauce, yogurt and trail mix.
I always pack some sort of vegetable and fruit. I love to have carrots and edemame. They are easy to pack. I also like to have an orange or a banana. They are easy too!
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My girls get a sandwich, pickle, fruit, cheese and some sort of sweet. The drink water with their lunches.
For lunches, the simpler the better, I have actually used the uncrustables, if you take them frozen they keep till lunchtime. It makes a great quick lunch when you didnt have time to make it yourself. We also use turkey on whole grain bread, apple sauce, or pudding snack, fruits, carrot sticks, and water pods which I also freeze, it keeps the lunch cold, and usually defrosts by lunchtime.
It depends on the day but I like a sandwich and small container of apple sauce or cut up vegetables with ranch.
I like to pack sandwiches (a standby, but healthy with whole-grain bread and lean meats/cheese) fruit, baby carrots, yogurt. Occasionally I’ll do roll-ups with tortillas and homemade baked goods (my kids’ favorites!).
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