Getting Back To School: How To Pack Fresh Lunch

Greta, our resident MOM tells us how she’s been able to get herself and her family back in the routine of packing lunches after the Holidays.  Thank you Greta for sharing!

My oldest just started back into his second semester of kindergarten, and I think it was harder for me to get back into the routine than him! Thankfully, the easiest horse to get back on was packing his lunches.

Henry is six years old, and a very picky eater. I didn’t used to think of him in that way until he started school and began bringing his lunch menus home. I knew, as soon as I read the first one, that he wouldn’t eat any of those lunches! His school gives the option of choosing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but he would be eating one every single day. He doesn’t like pasta very much; there are only a handful of fruits that he will eat. He’s not a fan of cheese, and hates almost any vegetable. He’s a good eater, when given the foods that he likes (just like anyone else) but the number of foods that he likes isn’t terribly large. And he does NOT like to try new things.

Thank goodness I discovered MOMables™ before the school year started. I had already decided that I would pack his lunches, but I had no idea how I would change things up from day to day. But, after seeing the first couple of weeks of MOMables™ menus, I knew I wouldn’t have a problem.  Even if he didn’t like an ingredient or two… I could easily substitute it for something else.  Honestly, the lunches are much better, fresher, and healthier than anything they have ever offered at his school.

Even when our lives get crazy and I don’t have a lot of time to prepare for the following weeks’ lunches, I don’t get stressed out. Henry and I have figured out his go-to lunch item and that gets made by default (instead of a boring PB&J).

One of these go-to lunches is the Turkey and Swiss Pinwheel (see recipe below). What I love about these pinwheels is that I can change the fillings to suit Henry’s tastes (or myself, as I often make one or two for my own lunch, too). Like I said before, Henry isn’t crazy about cheese…he’s a meat guy. So, I skip the Swiss, and vary the meats and condiments. One day, it’s a turkey and mustard roll-up, the next, it could be roast beef and low-fat cream cheese (my personal favorite).What I love about these wraps is that they’re super quick to whip up (as MOMables™ meals always are) and they can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge covered in a damp paper towel for a few days.