Back to School Lunches

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Summer is almost over, school supplies are bought, uniforms are in the works and the house is gearing up for the first week of school. I found some new tasty choices for breakfast to make on school days, so now I am planning to have great lunches packed for my children.

In the past I have been rushed to make pb and j with hot dog buns or pack leftovers that no one wanted when they were first served! But this year is going to be different, so I intend.

I started planning lunches by making a list of ideas based on what my family likes (what I made that they raved about, and what they order when out to eat) and some ideas I gathered from the blogosphere. I came up with two pages of sandwiches, finger foods, and fun fruit and veggie ideas.

From there I cut and pasted, starting with a four week scheme. I picked one sandwich a week and then moved on to a finger food then went back through with duplicates to fill in where necessary. The following is what I came up with (notice the first week has a menu for only Tuesday through Friday for Labor Day off). Links are provided for those recipes I found on other sites or have already posted. Look for the others to be posted soon.

Week One
Tuesday~ BLT Salad Sandwich with Apple Rings, Honey and Craisins
Wednesday~ Pepperoni Bites with Salad Cups
Thursday~ Triple Decker Egg Salad Sandwich with Veggie Sticks and Dip
Friday~ Barbecue Beef Biscuit Cups with Frozen Corn


Week Two
Monday~ PB&J with Bananas and Cream Sandwich with Fruit Cubes and Yogurt Dip
Tuesday~ Chicken Nuggets and Dip with Orange Slices
Wednesday~ Chicken Pie Pastie with Steamed Broccoli and Cheese Dip
Thursday~ Turkey Buffalo Cups* with Salad Cup
Friday~ Sausage Pizza Bites* with Veggie Sticks and Dip


Week Three
Monday~ Tuna Salad Sandwich with Frozen Corn
Tuesday~ Bean Burritos with Apple Slices and Caramel Dip
Wednesday~ Philly Cheese Steak Roll with Veggie Sticks
Thursday~ Bread Sticks with Cheese Dip and Fruit Cubes with Nutella
Friday~ Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza Cup* with Salad Cup


Week Four
Monday~ Bagel Sandwiches with Veggie Sticks and Cheese Dip
Tuesday~ Egg Salad Sandwich with Steamed Green Beans and Ranch
Wednesday~ Pepperoni Bites with Orange Slices
Thursday~ Barbecue Chicken Biscuit Cup* with Salad Cup
Friday~ Salmon Salad on Croissant with Cantaloupe Wedges



Helpful Tips for Packing Lunches
Pack frozen drinks; they will thaw by lunch and be ice cold.
Freeze veggies or fruits when possible before packing in the morning.
Pack salad in plastic cups covered with plastic wrap: dressing on bottom, lettuce next then other on top, keep croutons in separate bag.
*When you find one recipe your family enjoys, alter it to be used more than once but as a new lunch. I did this with the barbecue cups and pizza bites, just change the ingredients but keep the same technique of filling a biscuit or pizza dough and baking!

Remember to check back this week and next for recipes and more tips on how to pack school lunches!

6 comments:

  1. I am like you, I have a great start then fall apart and have made pbj in hotdog buns too! I have the same type of plan, just rotating my summer menu as you are but I need a back up plan too for those days I have forgot to shop, have a sick person in the house, or am just plain too tired to care. So could this be things I have made in bulk and frozen like pizza bites or chicken nuggets or give myself a real break and purchase a frozen treat like bagel bites-sure it is not real and pricey but can give me a break until I am back on my game. I have a picture in my head on how I want to live but somehow my second and third personalites have not gotten on board!

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  2. You rock!! What great menus!!!

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  3. It all sounds good to me! Can't wait!!

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  4. Ok like, tell me, you are not actually going to do each of these every day. Because if you are I am shamed. I bow my head. If this is an idea list rather, I rejoice because this I could do once or twice a week. Other wise their lunches would have to correspond to the previous nights meal. Sheila, oh my goodness. really?

    Want to hear what I packed my daughter most of last year. Partly due to pickiness and partly due to my laziness/lack of time. Here was the standard. Cheese cubed, pretzels accompanied by a veggie or fruit and a yogurt. Once in a while a treat. But mostly that is what I packed. She doesnt like sandwiches otherwise I am sure there would have been a ton of PBJ's in there.

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  5. Lori~ Yes, this is my plan for each day. We will see if it actually works. I will have enough bread and pb and j on hand for emergency stand by. I think it will probably work really well the first week, but then I might loose steam by the Tuesday of the second week!

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  6. Sheila- I admire your vision.

    In shame, I have packed my daughter cheese sticks, pretzels, carrots/celery/dip and applesauce. But you have inspired me to make some bread sticks with dip. I really like that idea!

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Catching my breath. Be back ASAP.