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This post, how to prepare lunches once for the week…
Its an easy way to have a stress-free school week!
When I was pregnant with the first of our four children, my friend Jeanie E. told me a great tip that I use to this day!
“When your kids go to school, make their sandwiches on Sunday night. Make five of them per child. Every day just grab one & throw it into their lunchbox.”
I have been doing this for years & it has become second nature. (You can read more about our little ones right here!)
I sometimes do this for our kids that are home with me during the day, too (the younger ones). Its an easy way to have lunch under control & not have to worry about it during the day.
We have four kids and this just makes life so much easier! :
Here is how I do it:
- Every Sunday night I get out a loaf of bread and the deli meat that I purchased that weekend for the week.
- I make as many sandwiches as I need (Lay out 15 slices of bread, put the meat (& cheese & toppings) on them, grab 15 more slices to lay on top of it… or I just get out 15 buns – one per child, per day. Our youngest doesn’t eat sandwiches, yet.)
- I put them all in baggies.
- I put them into the freezer or the refrigerator – ready for the week ahead.
- When our kids take their lunch for school, we grab a sandwich.
- They pick a sandwich or a turkey & bacon wrap & pick a fruit-cup or applesauce.
- My husband and I cut up veggies & keeps them in zip-lock baggies in the fridge, too, so this is an option, too. (I use these to make the veggie trays for the kids before dinner)
- I just throw in the food & mini water bottle (I get them from Aldi’s, but I think BJ’s & Costco has them, too.) or I give our preschoolers a sippy cup with water.
- For fun, I try to pack juice every Friday in our kid’s lunch boxes.
- Remember to throw in a note, too!! (Read why I do that right here)
- Thats it – its done! Lunch is served. 🙂
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Ps- Here is a post on how to get your kids ready for school quickly in the morning (stress-free)
This is an easy hack on how to take the juice out of the fruit cup BEFORE you open it (to avoid a mess):
Do you have condiments, mayo/mustard? Or ever make peanut utter and jelly? The sandwiches don’t get soggy or weird from being frozen? I have a picky eater in my oldest (husband) & he refuses to make his sandwiches the night before because they get “soggy”. My son I’d pretty easy going, but I was curious. Thanks!
Peanut butter – oops.
I don’t do it with PB&J because the bread does get soggy. If I do, I have to put PB on BOTH sides and then jelly in the middle, but then I don’t freeze them- I just leave them in the fridge. 🙂 I normally just make deli-meat sandwiches on buns. (no condiments)
Thanks!
Actually the bread will not get soggy., if you store them in the freezer. I use to store sandwhiches (both ham and cheese and pbj) in the freezer. Pull one out andb by 1100 ( in an insulated lunch box with ice pack, ) it will be unthawed. I loved to make a large batch like this, Before my kids went on roation rule and now dont eat the same foods two days in a row.
THanks!!
I do make pb&j and I freeze them! He has had this everyday this school year and loves it! I freeze them immediately and no soggy bun! Best tip I ever received…what a time saver!
Oh- thanks for answering!! 🙂 Good to know, too, for our 3 year old. He loves PB. (& this new store by us- Healthy Market- lets you make your own Peanut Butter… it is SO good, so I’m excited to send it for the boys.)
thanks, Missy!
I do make PB&Js for my daughter…a week’s worth on Sunday and then freeze them. She is very picky about texture and has never complained. I put peanut butter on both slices and I wrap the sandwiches individually in plastic wrap (not a baggies which can allow ice crystals to form which will make the sandwich soggy as it thaws). I also wash and thoroughly dry grapes and put them in individual bags on Sunday and they last the whole week. Ditto for sliced cucumber and grape tomatoes for my son. I also bag up pretzels for her and trail mix for him. When they come home for school each day, they Emory their lunchboxes and I just pop a frozen sandwich, a bag of fruit/veggies, a water bottle and a snack and put the lunch straight in the fridge for the next day. Saves me a TON of time during the week and only takes a few extra minutes on Sunday than I would spend on making lunches for one day because you only have to get everything out once and clean up once.
My friend, Hillary, just told me the same thing a few days ago. 🙂 (about the PB&J)
I sometimes make lunches for my kids that are healthier versions of Lunchables. They love them, I feel good as a mom, and it is definitely less stressful when I already have them made at the beginning of the week. I just have to put it in their lunch bag, add a drink, and I’m done.
I do the same, it works well and stays fresh. My kids love it.
🙂 yay! I know- doesn’t it make the mornings (or nights) less stressful?
This is a great idea!!
This is a good idea. Also, you can do something similar with clothing. Clothing compartments can be labeled for Monday-Friday for your children and you can prepare what they will wear to school for the entire week. I have seen this done and it does work.