Who says lunch pack sorting has to be a struggle? With the right tricks and tips, you can breeze through this process on a daily basis and even have fun while you do! It’s a Smart Mum thing; being able to do things quicker and more efficient than others and get great results for your kids’ benefit. Check out some ideas and get some inspiration for even more:
1. Pack lunches the night before: Most mums get their kids lunch packs ready the morning before school. Be different. Dinner time is the perfect time to put snacks together for your kids. That way, you’re killing two birds with one stone time-wise and have more breathing space to run errands the following morning. You can always put certain items in the fridge overnight anyways.
2. Stock up a snack pantry: Most mums have a food pantry. Set aside space for snacks too, a shelf maybe, to make sorting easier. You can step organisation up a notch by organising items in sections or boxes – crisps on the left, Nunu Milk sachets on the right, that sort of thing. More time is saved that way.
3. Get kids involved: Make lunch pack time fun time with the kids! It’s a great way to bond with them, and this way, they’re bound to select the choices they want. Just ensure snacks are healthy as you supervise.
4. Make it a game: A better way to engage your kids while they help out is to make the activity a fun game. From first-to-finish-packing-snacks to Colour Code Your Snacks, come up with a funky name for the game and have your child(ren) up and going, ready to assist in the future as well.
5. Use cold drinks to keep things cool: Who needs ice packs? With frozen juice boxes, you can keep fruits and other possible items cool short term. However, for health safety reasons, products like yoghurts should be refrigerated as soon as possible.
6. Invest in zip lock bags: These plastic transparent bags can be life savers. They are recyclable, washable and are good at containing almost anything that’s edible on the go. Except for grains, of course, it’s best you invest in a lunch plate for those instead.
7. Buy plastic sporks: Yes, you read that right. A spork is a useful utensil – a merge of a spoon and a fork. It’s a must-have in every kids’ lunch box and quite handy as a space saver too, don’t you think? And guess what? There is even a sporknife! How nice is that!
All hail the sporknife!
8. Invest in a water bottle-plate too: Speaking of sporks, here is another nifty lunch time invention for kids; it gives them fewer items to carry in their lunch box. Most plastic versions are quite light in weight and come in a variety of child-friendly colours.
9. Use baby powder to get rid of oil stains: Suppose your kids’ napkin or lunch pack (that’s made of cloth) gets stained. Fabhow recommends a good trick – sprinkle talcum powder on the stain and leave it for 20 to 30 minutes before washing it. The substance acts as a mini oil absorber, making the washing chore more stress-free. Remember to wash fabrics thoroughly though as talcum powder can be dangerous to kids’ health if taken in.
10. Towel up: Use a paper towel to cover your kids salad before placing the lid on the container. This prevents the meal from getting soggy beforehand; an unpleasant dish for kids to eat during lunch time, no matter how healthy and delicious tasting it might be.
Which was your favourite hack and why? Let us know in the comments section below.
You might also like our Balanced Diet article to help you make your kids lunches extra nutritious.