How to Shake Up Your Kids' School Lunches
Monday, August 24, 2015This is a sponsored post; All opinions are my own. Post contains affiliate links.
Are your kids stuck on PB&J? Tired of throwing the same old sides in? Sometimes we just need a little switcheroo (or even a marker) to make our kids' school lunches exciting again. I've got some ideas and tips to bring a smile to their faces at lunchtime, and saving some dough will bring a smile to yours too.
I shopped for my ingredients from Save-A-Lot, where you really can save a lot. I had a few concrete plans when I went in, but came out with so many more, so I'll give you both the tips and tell you exactly what I paid for the ingredients. (Hint: Not a lot.)
1. Switch up the plain old PB&J
If your kids have a love of PB&J that will never flag, try switching it up by making Peanut Butter and Jelly Cracker Sandwiches. You can further shake it up by trying a new flavor of jelly or preserves. I used Apricot preserves here, but next up: Raspberry!
You can also try switching out your nut butter. Instead of plain creamy Peanut butter, try crunchy Peanut butter, Hazelnut butter, Cashew butter, or Almond butter.
Just grab a permanent marker and add a smiley face to the top of their fruit cups or make silly faces on their string cheese. It can be as simple or complex as you have time for, and is an easy way to give them a lunchtime surprise. *Please note: Only use permanent marker on food packaging, not on the actual food. If you'd like to write on their food, sandwich bread for instance, use a food marker like these.)
3. Get Crafty
Raid the craft supplies for pipe cleaners and stick-on googly eyes and you can make anything into a fuzzy monster or an alien. Your kids will be delighted when they see it and as a bonus, they can play with it when they've finished their lunch. Use your imagination!
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| Peanut Butter and Apricot Cracker Sandwiches |
If your kids have a love of PB&J that will never flag, try switching it up by making Peanut Butter and Jelly Cracker Sandwiches. You can further shake it up by trying a new flavor of jelly or preserves. I used Apricot preserves here, but next up: Raspberry!
Panner Creamy Peanut Butter $1.49
Bramley's Apricot Preserves $1.89
J. Higgs Buttery Rounds Crackers $1.79
(prices may vary by location)
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HB&J Sandwich
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You can also try switching out your nut butter. Instead of plain creamy Peanut butter, try crunchy Peanut butter, Hazelnut butter, Cashew butter, or Almond butter.
Panner Chocolate Hazelnutter spread $2.29
Bramley's Strawberry Jam $2.49
(prices may vary by location)
(prices may vary by location)
2. Add a smile
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| Fruit Cup Smiles |
We all love those easy and healthy lunch sides; The ones you can grab from the fridge and toss in their lunch, like fruit cups and string cheese. A surefire way to bring a grin to your child's face is to...add a smile!
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| String Cheese Buddies |
Just grab a permanent marker and add a smiley face to the top of their fruit cups or make silly faces on their string cheese. It can be as simple or complex as you have time for, and is an easy way to give them a lunchtime surprise. *Please note: Only use permanent marker on food packaging, not on the actual food. If you'd like to write on their food, sandwich bread for instance, use a food marker like these.)
Tipton Grove fruit cups $1.69
Coburn Farms string cheese $2.99
(prices may vary by location)
(prices may vary by location)
3. Get Crafty
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| Yogurt Alien |
Raid the craft supplies for pipe cleaners and stick-on googly eyes and you can make anything into a fuzzy monster or an alien. Your kids will be delighted when they see it and as a bonus, they can play with it when they've finished their lunch. Use your imagination!
Coburn Farms yogurts $ .44
(prices may vary by location)
I hope these ideas fuel some of your own!
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