Although it has been years since we’ve heard the ring of a school bell, August continues to remind us that school is just around the corner. We even think August smells like back-to-school season. Who’s with us on that one?!
Well, you may not agree that shorter summer nights and cooler evening breezes reek of academia, you probably would agree that lunch time is the BEST part of a school day! Every kid, as well as every adult, eagerly awaits that special time of day most. When it comes to packing lunches for yourself or your kids, we believe simple, easy, delicious, easy, and easy should be everyone’s aspiration in doing so.
In order to ensure that lunches are made at home and not picked up at the drive through on route to school or work, we like to dedicate two evenings of the week to preparing lunches. Utilizing one evening after dinner to get in the lunch zone is actually fun, rewarding, and, dare we say, exhilarating! We know, we are lunch-prep nerds, but still, seeing Tupperware upon Tupperware stacked in the fridge is a natural high that we can climb aboard with!
The main reasons why carving out a solid chunk of time to prep multiple days’ worth of lunches is worthwhile is because of two simple factors- less dishes and valuable time. When you get out a cutting board to cut up veggies and dip, why not chop some extra veg, wash your cutting board and knife, and know that you can kick-back with the latest episode of Bachelor in Paradise the next evening, hassle free! By the time the next day comes around, knowing that your lunch or your children’s lunches have already been prepared for the next day is like the equivalent of waking up at 6am on a Saturday and remembering that it’s not a school/work day! So luxurious!
We prep our lunches assembly-line style. Easy peasy, set up multiple Tupperware containers on the counter and start filling them with nutritious fruits, veggies, nuts, and grains. One of our go-to lunch snack staples are yogurt parfaits. Just wash berries, place them in a container, dollop on your favorite yogurt, and top with a good quality granola. You will easily be able to bang out eight small containers in very little time, we know you can do it!
Anyone would agree that packing healthier lunches for you and your family starts at home – and it’s the easiest way to make sure your meals are Half Your Plate friendly. In order to ensure that you’re not wasting away in the kitchen every single day while life is going on around you, commit to making and storing multiple lunches on slower evenings that are not as busy as the rest of the week. Making time for both nutrition and family is the key to living life!
Today’s post by Maddie and Kiki, friends of Half Your Plate
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