Lunch box tips from our members

Packing the school lunch box can be a chore and it’s especially frustrating when the food you have lovingly prepared returns home in the afternoon with your kids. Our members have shared some of their best lunch box tricks for making school lunches easier for you and more appealing for your kids.

Ditch the plastic:

Buy a quality lunch box with a good seal to help keep food fresh and ditch the plastic. A Bento style lunch box can help save on packaging with separate compartments. Or make the most of last nights leftovers and send the kids to school with a sandwich made from leftover meats or even another serving of dinner to save on packaging and extra work.

Bulk baking:

By cooking a large batch of cakes, muffins or slices and freezing down into small portions you can save time on preparation. Treats will defrost in lunch boxes and be nice and fresh by the time lunch break rolls around. You can also encourage kids to join you in the kitchen when baking for some extra weekend fun.

Recruit little helpers:

Involving the kids with packing their lunches not only helps to ensure what you are packing will get eaten, it also helps to teach independence and responsibility. Depending on their age, try and involve your kids in preparing their lunch box or shopping for the grocery items. Let them have a say in how fruit or veggies are cut and what special treat they would like.

Make it interesting:

Kids like variety, just like us. It’s great to find staple items that you know they’ll love, and most importantly, will eat. But try introducing new foods occasionally to keep it exciting. One of our members suggests having a “try it Tuesday” where you give them something different one day a week to make lunches more interesting.

And like all things, it pays to be prepared. Try packing lunch the night before to avoid chaotic mornings and freezing or partially freezing drink bottles to keep lunches cool. You can also stretch your grocery budget further by purchasing Woolworths Store eGift Cards with a 4% member discount through the RACT member hub.