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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!
prepare your child's lunch once for the 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! :

 pack lunches once for the week

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.

lunch for the week

  • 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. 🙂

 

More posts you might like: 

Ps- Here is a post on how to get your kids ready for school quickly in the morning (stress-free)

Helping kids get ready for school quicker 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):
take juice out of fruit cup before opening

protein cookies with m&ms

33-things-our-children-will-always-remember-3

Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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20 Comments

  1. 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!

    1. 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)

        1. 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.

    2. 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!

      1. 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!

    3. 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.

      1. My friend, Hillary, just told me the same thing a few days ago. 🙂 (about the PB&J)

  2. 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.

      1. 🙂 yay! I know- doesn’t it make the mornings (or nights) less stressful?

  3. 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.