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If you have a school-aged child, chances are you have been asked, at some point, to send your child with a sack lunch. Typically, this is the school’s way of saying to send your child with a completely disposable lunch.
Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of messages on Instagram about schools requiring disposable lunch daily now, and I knew I had to share these ideas on how to pack a quick and easy disposable sack lunch.
Here’s a quick video where I show you my packing methods and then, I’ll share some of the best non-perishable lunch items that kids will love to find in that brown paper sack!
How to Pack a Disposable Sack Lunch
Whether it’s the annual school field trip, or schools trying to limit reusable items that could get germy – from time to time we all need a disposable lunch that will stay good all day.
Today I am going to share with you some tips on how to pack a completely disposable and recyclable lunch for these occasions.
Related: Top 5 Lunchboxes We’ve Tested
If you need a fully disposable lunch, this will also mean that you can’t pack an ice pack, so everything you pack will need to be non-perishable, cold lunches.
And if you need more incredible lunch ideas of all sorts, check out the 101 Packed Lunches eBook. You won’t be running out of ideas anytime soon.
101 Packed Lunches eBook
All my best kid-friendly lunches from over a decade of creating meal plans. Add some variety to your child’s lunchbox with these epic lunches, plus receive my Pack Meals Like a Pro ebook, free with purchase!
Non-perishable lunch ideas
Main Entree
- Meat & cheese sandwich w/o mayonnaise
- Peanut butter sandwich with strawberry or banana slices
- Peanut butter & jelly sandwich
Vegetable
- Carrot sticks
- Celery sticks
- Grape tomatoes
- Broccoli florets
Fruit
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Banana
- Apple
- Grapes
- Fruit Cups
- Applesauce cups
- Fruit Leather
Dairy
- String cheese (check out this post where I’ll show you how to pack dairy in lunches)
- Yogurt tube (stick in the freezer overnight and it’ll be thawed by lunchtime)
Drink
- Bottled Water
- Juice Boxes
Then the question comes in of what to pack the lunch in. Some obvious solutions are a brown paper lunch bag, a gallon plastic zip bag, a plastic grocery bag, etc. But what if you want to pack items that you don’t want to be squished or bruised? The best solution I have come up with is saving those plastic clam-shell baskets that fresh fruit comes in.
I use a larger basket (pictured is a 2lb. strawberry basket) to hold everything and I use the smaller ones to hold sides (like blueberry/raspberry baskets).
You could also pack side items in small paper cups that are covered with plastic wrap, or some items could be packed in a paper muffin cup liner. If you’re really feeling adventurous you can decorate the basket with duct tape or let your kids loose to decorate it- just for some added fun.
So when your child gets sent home with a note saying they are going to need a disposable field trip lunch, don’t stress! There’s no need to run out and buy a pre-packaged lunch.
Also, for those of you whose kids are enrolled in summer camps, here are 20 Easy Summer Camp Snack Ideas and 10 Summer Camp Lunch Ideas.
Sack Lunch Ideas
Watch How It’s Packed:
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- 2 slices whole-grain bread
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- ¼ honey-crisp or granny smith apple, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Place bread on a flat surface and spread peanut butter onto both slices of bread. Place apple slices onto one side, drizzle with honey, and close sandwich.
Chrissy says
When I haven’t had a ice pack, I have put ice cubes in a sandwich bag, then put that bag in a quart size bag. That way, leaks are less likely. At times, I have put the item I want to keep cold in the quart bag with the ice bag also. It depends on if this item is tight sealed, like a cheese stick. I always instruct my child to dispose of it quickly so they don’t come home with a water soaked lunchbox.
Stephanie Nelson says
I buy the small disposable water bottles and freeze them. Then they serve as an ice pack to keep the lunch cold and water for them to drink when the water melts.
Kimberly says
Great Idea!!!
Abbey says
My kids can’t take peanut butter to school or in field trips. Do you have any other ideas for main part of lunch that doesn’t include peanut butter? Thank you.
MOMables - Laura says
Hi Abbey, check out all the lunches on our site.
Ingenuity dad says
You can also pack perishable items by making disposable ice packs using your vacuum sealer. Fill two 4×4″ (plus margins for sealing) bags with water and seal (don’t use the vacuum feature, just seal it), then freeze. Beware of condensation compromising paper bags, use a plastic shopping bag if in doubt.
Jennifer says
Check out SunButter – it’s made from sunflower seeds, so it’s safe to have around kids with nut allergies!
Elizabeth Pacheco says
It’s the first time my kids go to camp and I didn’t know what to pack. Thank you for the great lunch ideas.
Shannon says
This was incredible helpful for my son’s End of the Year Field Trip!!! And it also gave me great ideas for when he begins summer camp in 2 weeks!!!
Angelique says
Great idea for using the fruit container! I was stressing about how to pack a disposable laptop much that won’t get mashed – and I happen to have s strawberry container in the fridge! Also, the frozen water bottle works great but you have to put it in a plastic bag or it will sweat through the paper bag.
Emilie Hebert says
Thanks for that tip! Glad you found this helpful.
Katie says
Thanks for the ideas. I would be very concerned, however, about the safety of the meat and cheese sandwich if no ice pack was included. By lunch time it would no longer be safe to eat.
Greer S says
THIS HELPED SO MUCH
Alicia says
I saw you mentioned the fact that you can’t send an icepack in a disposable lunch. Have you tried freezing the water bottle? It acts as an icepack and will usually be drinkable by lunch time. For kids with an earlier lunch time, only fill 3/4 of the bottle to freeze, then add the rest of the water in the morning. We’ve also frozen juice pouches and boxes for the same purpose.
MOMables says
great idea about freezing the water bottle or juice to act as an ice pack!
Kendra Peterson says
You can also freeze yogurt cups or tubes, applesauce or fruit cups, and even the meat and cheese sandwich! I’ve had problems with the water bottle (or juice box, the few times I didn’t have a disposable water bottle laying around) not thawing enough by lunch though. But yogurt and applesauce are still nice partially frozen, like slushies!
Sanaa El Azyz says
my daughter said that her teacher said that
Omayra says
Wow. I have been doing this, this past year. Lol. Did not know I was doing it right. Just wanted her to have a healthy lunch and disposable. Which by the way I have even managed to send her hot food. By the time it was to be eaten it was warm. She was the envy of her classmates and teacher. Lol
MOMables says
you are so creative! great job Omayra! the purpose of this lunch is for field trips and summer camps where they require a disposable lunch and they plan on recycling. Otherwise, it’s a lot of waste. During the school year, I recommend re-usable containers.