Tips to Make Packing Lunches Easier

This post was sponsored by Sabra as part of an Influencer Activation. All opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Are you running around in the morning like you’re racing against time (or maybe the bus) trying to figure out something to put in your kid’s lunch box? It’s cool. We’ve all been there. Take a look at the tips below. They’ll help you get it together a bit more this year and make packing lunches easier.

Start With A List And Go Shopping

Sit down with the kids and come up with a list of lunches they like. This could include sandwiches and wraps, or even a homemade lunch-able, but it doesn’t have to stop there. If you add a thermos to the mix, you can suddenly pack reheated leftovers, mac and cheese, and other hot favorites. The key is to find lunch foods and snacks that your kids will eat that are also easy to pack.

The kids have recently gotten into hummus – which is great for dipping pretty much everything in: broccoli, carrots, chips, and so much more! Sabra Hummus Dip starts with fresh chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), tahini and a touch of garlic. Then it’s blended smooth and bold flavors are added, making it perfect for snacking! Sabra Hummus is available at Walmart.

Make sure you have appropriate containers, and then head to the grocery store to pick up everything you need for the week. Don’t forget about snacks and drinks! This is where having a list makes things easier. Once you have several different lunch ideas your kids like and will actually eat, you can simply rotate through them and make the ingredients part of your weekly shopping trips.

Prep What You Can As Soon As You Get Home

When you get home from the store, don’t put those lunch foods away just yet! Keep them out and get as much prepped ahead of time as you can. Wash and store any fruits and veggies that you can in little bags that are perfect to grab and toss in the lunch box. Of course, I do take the easy route sometimes and buy things already in single serve sizes.

I really like these Sabra Hummus Singles. The perfectly packable singles are available in-store at Walmart in Roasted Red Pepper and Classic varieties. The package includes 6, so that’s plenty to make it through a week!

Pack Lunches The Night Before

If your mornings are anything like ours, you likely don’t always have time to get to the lunches in the morning. Try making them up the night before – after dinner works great! Of course, the kids can get involved by helping to prep and clean-up. Cold items can be stored in the fridge and everything else can already be packed in the lunch box, ready to add the cold items and ice pack in the morning. It won’t take long to get into the habit of preparing lunches while you’re cleaning up after dinner and I’m sure you’ll appreciate a little less stress in the mornings.

Get In The Habit Of Cleaning Lunch Boxes As Soon As The Kids Get Home

To make lunch prep even easier, get the kids into the habit of cleaning out their lunch box as soon as they get back from school. This is something so simple that even the littlest can help with. Kids can toss any uneaten food and toss the containers in the sink or help load them in the dishwasher. Having everything clean and ready to be used again will make packing lunches even easier.

Stick to these tips and it won’t take you long to get into an efficient lunch packing routine that will make it a snap. Don’t forget to get the kids involved. Not only does this make it easier on you, but they’ll be more likely to eat what they had a hand in packing.

Enter the Back to School Sweepstakes

To make your back to school season even better, Sabra is giving you the chance to win one of the great prizes below (limit one prize per person or household) :

• One (1) Grand Prize Up To $50,000:
  • Chance to win a scholarship of $50,000
• Ten (10) Second Prizes: Each winner to receive one (1) Chrome Notebook ARV $500 each.
• One hundred (100) Third Prizes: Each winner to receive one (1) $100 Walmart Gift Card.
• One hundred (100) Fourth Prizes: Each winner to receive one (1) $25 Walmart Gift Card.