Lunch Packing Tool Kit

I have cried every “first day of school” since my oldest daughter was in kindergarten. Today, leaving my kids at the school gate marked 11 years of back-to-school tears. It’s a soup pot of emotions, the dominant one being the acute awareness that one more year means one step closer to the day when…

they’ll graduate grade school

and then middle school

and then high school

and then up and out from under my roof

and onto college

I’ll never be ready.

I know other moms (and dads) cry too. Sometimes for far more practical reasons, notably the fact that being back in school means resuming a least favorite chore of parenting — filling lunch boxes for the next nine months. So, I thought I’d share this three-part series on the subject that I wrote for the fab website The Kitchn. Whatever the cause of your tears, hopefully this will ease the transition from summer to school lunch.

FIVE MAKE-AHEAD LUNCH IDEAS TO MINIMIZE THE MORNING MADNESS

Tackling a few lunch prep chores on a Sunday afternoon can really lighten your load on weekday mornings. Here are six simple “do ahead” tasks to make life during the school and work week run a little more smoothly.
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SEVEN WAYS TO TURN LEFTOVERS INTO LUNCH

Leftovers are the secret weapon of the lunch box. An extra slice of lasagne at supper means you don’t have to lift a finger for lunch the next day. You can take it a step further and actually plan for leftovers – making more at dinner than you need and tucking the extras into containers before you’ve even cleaned up the dishes. Here are seven simple suppers that transition effortlessly into lunch.
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GIVE YOUR LUNCH GEAR AN AFTER SCHOOL BUBBLE BATH

Part of the chore of packing lunches is managing all those reusable containers. Just keeping those babies clean and organized is half the battle. And if you’re making lunches for more than one, all those lids, thermoses, and water bottles can dominate the dishwasher. Here’s a tip that will save your dishwasher for the dishes and keep a steady supply of waste-free containers at the ready.
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Photos by Jennifer Martine