Lunchbox Roundup

The school year has ended, which also means the end of home lunches sent to school. Each morning a quick moment was set aside to snap a photo of that day's lunch before it was hurried away to school. Some were shared in the weekly meal plans and some were created from what was on hand. Here is a lunchbox roundup of all the favorites this school year. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter + Jam Sandwich | Celery + Dip | Apple Slices | Cheesy Crackers | Granola Bar | Chocolate (the after-school report assured that every colorful sprinkle was still intact by lunchtime... SUCCESS!)

Bagel + Cream Cheese | Side Salad + Olive Oil Dressing | Yogurt + Jam | Cheesy Crackers | Granola Bar | Cookie

Antipasto Skewers + Pesto Sauce (Cheese on the side) | Carrots + Dip | Citrus | Chips | Chocolate Chunks * Meal Plan

Pasta + Cannellini Beans + Tomato Sauce | Side Salad + Olive Oil Dressing | Citrus Slices | Fruit Snacks * Meal Plan

Tuna Potato Salad | Coleslaw | Citrus Slices | Crackers | Cookie (the after-school report joyfully revealed that the Tuna Potato Salad was "sooooooooo good, mom!") * Meal Plan

Broccoli + Egg Fried Rice | Granola Bar | Yogurt + Jam | Citrus Slices. (the after-school report included a request for a second helping of the Broccoli + Egg Fried Rice... again, and again, and again!) * Meal Plan

Egg + Potato Salad (Cucumber on the side) | Crackers | Citrus Slices | Chocolate Chunks * Meal Plan

Peanut Butter + Jam Sandwich | Side Salad + Olive Oil Dressing | Sweet Peppers | Apple Slices | Watermelon

Thanks to PlanetBox, each lunch was a joy to create and a treat to use... seeing that each day the lunchbox was brought home with every tasty morsel eaten! It certainly helped that these lunches were made for a never-picky, first-grade foodie who prefers vegetables over grains most days of the week. Lunchtime will still be a wonderful part of the day during the Summer break from school, but there will always be a special kind of mealtime magic reserved for these home lunches sent to school. The idea that someday, the little hands that dive into this lunchbox won't be so little anymore, and that the owner of those squishy fingers will grow into a teenager who doesn't want mom to send them with lunch anymore, makes these moments all the more important. For now, it's worth every extra effort to thoughtfully make in those busy school day mornings.

Until next time,

The Maple Press