Giveaway Results: Lunchbox Giveaway (Worth Over $150)

My tip is to make the lunches the night before and involve your child in putting it together so you save time in the morning and know they will like what has been packed!

My oldest is going into 2nd grade so she doesn’t need a huge lunch. I keep it simple by packing 4 things in her lunch every day — a drink, a sandwich, a fruit, and a snack. I try to pack as much as I can the night before to make the morning less hectic. I also try to switch the “sandwich” I make so she doesn’t eat the same thing everyday, and I like to use her thermos once a week (spaghettios or easymac). Since I spent money on the thermos I don’t want it sitting in my cupboard collecting dust. Might as well use it!

I don’t worry about sandwiches anymore. I pack 4 or 5 snacks: applesauce, yogurt raisins, yogurt drink, sunflower seeds, crackers, cheese sticks, juice box, etc. I do this because my child never eats a whole sandwich. She will however eat all these finger foods so I put in there what I think she’ll eat.

My tip is to by large containers of goldfish and use snack size ziplocs to distribute. Much cheaper than buying ready to go bags.

bctripletmom at gmail dot com

To save time packing lunches, my son and I do it the night before which makes the mornings a little less hectic!
To save money, we don’t buy prepackaged snacks – I buy the full-size package and break it down into single-serve portions!

When you dish up the carrot sticks for one lunch, go ahead and do it for the entire week! That’s one fewer things you’ll have to do later.

Make a bunch of pb&j on the weekend. Stick them in the freezer. Pull out as needed. They will thaw in the lunchbox.

My daughter packs her lunch every day. The way we save time is we only pack three things in her lunchbox: a sandwich, chips, and a dessert. She buys her milk at school. We save money by not buying the individual bags of chips. We buy a bag or can of chips then put some into a ziploc bag for her to take.

We involve our kids. That way they like what they have, and hopefully before too long, they can be in charge of making their own lunch!

this will be my first year packing a school lunch. but i plan to save money by sending my daughter with water to drink in a reuseable water bottle instead of buying juice boxes.

we also have sandwich keepers that save us from having to buy as many ziploc bags.

dd takes chicken tenders for lunch, so I make sure I fix them the next before, so that don’t have to worry about that in the morning. Instead of buying the little individual packages of snacks, I buy a box of what ever, and bag them up myself.mavans@scottsboro.org

We have 5 school aged children,and it was initially hard on selling the kids on the benefits of “baggin’ lunch” from a financial, health and even environmental standpoint. So packing up lunches the night before school has become an interesting and successful adventure at our house, literally.We make it a fun activity by allowing each child to make a batch of their own “snack creation” to share with the rest of the family each week. Our family favorites have been trail mix, fresh fruit bites, dirt cups,cucumber flowers, ham spirals, Olive triangles, marshmallow critters, etc.–our kids have come up with some zany and creative stuff! But they love it, and they literally eat it up. We also leave little post it notes in each others lunch boxes, mostly words of praise and encouragement, small drawings, cute jokes, etc. We all really look forward to it and we know deep down that family is close to the heart–and stomach!

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I think buyin in bulk and repackaging into single serving sizes in reusable bags saves lots in the cost of lunches.

We make homemade uncrustables with our pampered chef sandwich sealer. We also make them ahead of time & freeze for later use.

I ask my daughter what she likes in her lunch to make sure she will eat the food. My daughter is older and is into being green, she uses a cloth napkin and resuable water bottle.

Make a few extra servings each night for dinner. Freeze and eventually, your child will have quite the options for lunch!

We make lunch the night before, and don’t buy prepackaged items. Instead we buy the larger size, and bag it into small lunch portions.

Buying in bulk and making your own single servings is the best way to do it!

I make lunches the night before. Saves time so I’m not rushing around getting everybody ready for school and work

Just prepare ahead of time. Prepackage items that can be so you can just grab and go.

To save time and cut back on the morning “frenzy” – my daughter and I pack her lunch the night before. I make the sandwich of her choice, while she gets the rest out of the refrigerator and pantry. She takes one fruit, a single packet of cookies or chips and a juice, usually a Capri Sun. Sometimes she throws in a string cheese. We use single serving snacks for her lunch. It really cuts down on the prep time and it’s less that she has to bring back home.

This is the first year that I’ve had to pack a lunch for my oldest daughter. She loves those snack packs of crackers and such, but they’re so expensive! I get those ziploc snack baggies and big boxes of crackers and pack up smaller portions. And we reuse the baggies several times, so it’s a cost savings for us big time! Thanks for the chance at a great giveaway!

When I pack for kids, I like to do the same things that make my lunch special – the “little extras.” I love to get the smallest tupperware and put in nuts, cheese, dressing, snacks – anything small that adds a little extra to what might otherwise be a bland meal. Peanuts on top of leftover Chinese noodles, dressing so the lettuce doesn’t get soggy, craisins for an after-lunch snack. Yum!

I’ve found that having less-processed foods in lunches- apple slices instead of prepackaged applesauce, or block cheese & summer sausage I cut myself instead of a lunchable- makes for healthier & less expensive lunches

On Sunday afternoon my son and I begin to prepare the snack containers for the week. That way each night I can make his sandwich grab the snacks and thats makes for an easy morning for us! Especially this year the bus will be here at 6!!

My comment is to freeze a juice box and then it will keep the rest of the lunch cold throughout the day. No need to buy an ice pack for the lunch box.

We also don’t do sandwiches my child doesn’t eat them. I make a healthy snack box. Some cheese, carrots, apples, and something such as yogurt.

Instead of buying lots of baby food jars for my girl, I steam and puree fresh fruits and veggies and freeze them in an ice cube tray, then store them in a freezer baggie. Just take out what she needs the night before and stick it in the fridge. Also, when I do get jars, I use those to store food for easy travel.

My kids always wasted half the sandwich (Or all)… It was a waste of money and it also meant that they were STARVING by the time they came home off the bus. So to stop them from throwing money out the window, I started cutting shapes in their sandwiches. I just place the cutter in the center of the sandwich and then my kids get the Silhouette AND the part that was cut out! I always surprise them. So I am saving on wasted sandwiches AND expensive snacks after school because they are much more satisfied with a smaller snack after school! I also buy foods that I KNOW they will eat, but are also healthy. We love flavored applesauce, salty snacks (like goldfish and salty crackers) and string cheese !

I avoid the individually packaged snack sized foods (except for cheese sticks) and use small plastic Rubbermaid-type containers instead.

I try to avoid the individual packaged items. Less healthy, more waste, and more expensive.

My tip is to just buy lunch. 1.50 for a hot lunch, can’t beat it. My time is worth alot more. BTW, I have 5 kids, two with autism. Fixing lunches, ummm, not so much!

I purchased a package of veggie & dip containers, which are perfect for holding a sandwich (cut in half), carrot sticks & applesauce! For drinks, I bought a package of bottled apple juice (cute little round bottles!) & we’ve been re-using those bottles for a year now. Much better than plastics & the boys can see what they’re having. We also use the kid-sized thermos for Mac & Cheese leftovers!

My son’s lunch is completely free, during the summer I have a garden and I cook,freeze, & can (he helps of course which makes it so much fun!)all his fav. foods, then during the school year I have everything I need to pack his lunches,it saves me so much time because I do all the work in the summer when I’m not busy and it saves me tons because I’m not spending anything, not to mention it is completely healthy!

We get the lunch box ready the night before. Since my son is very peculiar about his food, I let him choose to a degree his snacks. We buy full-size packages of whatever he likes, and cut into bite-size or single-serve portions and packs into small food containers. Nothing fancy, but helps save money and eat healthy.

Keep juice boxes in the freezer at home. They then work as an ice pack for the lunch and are thawed out by lunch time.

Awesome give away. Thank you for entering me.

One thing I do is to pre-make things and cut up veggies all at once.

We all eat leftover’s from the previous night’s dinner for lunch.

I make the lunch the night before, and it save lots of time. I also stick to buying only the foods my kids will actually eat. I save money by not buying the “fun” foods that they end up not liking.

I haven’t had to make lunches yet, but I start this year. I think I will start by making whatever I can the night before. I also plan to have the kids help so I know they will eat the lunch. I hope this works and all of these great ideas are going to help me off to a great start!

Thanks!

One way I’m saving money this year is by using reusable sandwich & snack bags, instead of plastic ziploc bags. I bought a few for each of my girls… let them pick out the designs they wanted. The bags are easy to wipe clean and if they need more washing, I can just throw them in either the dishwasher OR washing machine!

I also try to pack as much as I can the night before.

We make a lot of our own snacks such as cookies and granola and we always pack our lunch the night before

I make lunchables myself….cut up little squares of ham or turkey and cheese slices, add in some Ritz crackers. My son doesn’t think any differently of them. I also save time but doing everything the night before.

Packing a frozen PB&J sandwich helps keep the rest of the food cool. It thaws by lunch time.

My tip is to have the child help make lunches the night before.

Sometimes I make my sons lunches all in one day of the week and then they are ready to go each day.

Although I usually don’t like buying prepackaged items, sometimes with coupons you can get better deals. Also my son did not like having to carry a reusable lunch box or bag around. We found that freezing a drink box and reusing plastic bags for his lunch worked much better. It was better than paying for a school lunch and it was also better than him leaving his lunch bag at school day after day.

pscole3467 at gmail dot com

We pack the night before and use reusable containers to cut down on waste. I’ve found great ideas on Flickr for items to include and cute ways to pack them. The photos are tagged as packedlunch or kidslunch or bento.

The best way I’ve found to save time is to make the lunch the night before instead of in the morning (there’s just too much running around in the morning).

mfalcon13 (at) hotmail (dot) com

My daughter complains that her PB & J is soggy by lunch time. Easy fix so there is no wasted sandwhich coming back home, I spread the PB on ‘both’ pieces of bread then put the jelly on. The PB creates a “barrier” and the sandwhich stays fresher!

I use a checklist from Inspiring Moms for my 2nd grader. He doesn’t typically take his lunch but he does have to bring snack and his water bottle. Putting the ball in his court as a part of his “to-do” list certainly makes my life easier. I make sure he has plenty of containers available (trying to stop using many Ziploc bags) and so far he has done a great job!

Pack the night before!

We save money by baking our own whole wheat healthy bread (in the bread machine of course…very easy)and I make homemade yogurt in individual re-usable tupperware containers once every 2 weeks. I pack a small yogurt with an ice pack, small sandwich and a fruit or vegetable. I feel good about what they’re eating and the lunches don’t cost me more than $1 each. We are also limit the amount of packaging we use to help the environment and our pocket book.

My daughters both have the same lunch box, but we also pack different stuff in each one. So when they open it a lunch time it’s fun to find out which one they got and which treats they’ll get to eat.

We save money but eating lunchmeat and having fruit in our lunches, along with a small bag of chips or something like Chex Mix bars that I win, in lunch. It’s cheap and easy!

I always use coupons and I put snacks in baggies rather than buying snack packs at the store-which is much more expensive.

I make a chart at the beginning of each month for lunches. That way when I can plan for the week or month as I go. When I think of something great to put in lunches that week I add it to my chart. I have found this helps me to not forget about snacks or fruit or things I could add to lunches to give good variety. Also, my children don’t like to have the same thing too often so this helps me keep track of and ensure variety. I also find it a helpful way, at the end of the month, to look it over, see what was a hit, and what wasn’t….and then I adjust for the next month. I try to shop for lunch items just once a month and find this saves a lot of money. The other thing is we make homemade granola bars, cut up canned fruit, make muffins, soft dough pretzels, and use different kinds of bread (pitas, tortillas, and bread) etc.

Involing the child and making bite size items, or fun things all shapes and sizes. If they pick the items and help pack it, do it right after dinner when putting away left overs. I try to sneak in a snack before they leave the house with it in the morning, if not food a note.

I pack my son’s lunch in the morning,but I try to stock on juice boxes and snacks when there is an extremely good sale,otherwise I buy big chunks of cheese and ham at the deli counter and cut them in pieces or slice them myself for sandwiches.I make my own applesauce, buy carrots and cut them in strings ahead of time so that I just have to pack it in the morning. I also found some cool sandwich containers in the dollar section at Target that I am going to be using this year for containers. Since we are trying to cut on plastic waste.I buy cherry tomatoes,grapes,bananas,cucumbers and any fruit that is small enough to fit in a child’s hand. Since my son is in school 8 hrs he brings a snack and lunch with a least 2 portions of fruits and or veggies.

Tomorrow is the first day of kindergarten, so I can’t speak from experience…yet!

But at home, I buy large tubs of yogurt and applesauce and big boxes of crackers and snacks. I divide them up into little containers so that they are portioned out ahead of time. It saves both time and money.

So far I’ve had the best luck buying in bulk. I buy the biggest bag/box I can that I know we will use before it spoils. I also started buying from the bulk bins at Henry’s. It’s great for yogurt raisins, pretzels, corn nuts, dried fruit etc. I put those things in re-usable containers which helps reduce waste and saves because I’m not spending on packaging. I also buy items when they’re on sale, whether we “need” them or not.

Save money…get some snacks at the dollar store or at a discount price.

Save time…have most of the lunch picked out and ready to go the night before so it’s easier to get your child off to school on time with all they need.

I was wasting bread and filling for sandwiches. I just pack healthy snacks now and make sure they are getting all of their nutritional needs.

denise_22315(at)yahoo(dot)com

I save money by buying in bulk when I can, and using containers rather than baggies.

I save time and money by making once a month sandwiches for my sons lunch box. I get different recipes from my oamc cookbooks and make a variety of sandwiches and pop them in the freezer. The night before I pack a sandwich, fruit or vegetables, and a drink in the lunch box and leave it in the fridge so I can grab it easily in the morning.

We try to get things ready the night before so we aren’t so ruched in the morning. Everything goes in the lunchbox or fridge so all we have to do is grab and go!

To prepare as much as you cant he night before and have my son pack the lunch box that morning and place on hook by door so he wont forget it

I like to have things ready to grab. So, I will make & freeze muffins that will defrost during the morning, have hard-boiled eggs already made in the fridge, and little containers with carrots & grapes already in them

I make lunch the night before to save time! I also buy nacks in bulk from Sams Club so I always have stuff on hand.

I refuse to buy the prepackaged chips, raisins, carrots, etc. I buy snack size bags and full size product and fill up a bunch of snack size bags. I keep them in a big basket, so when it’s time to pack lunches, I can easily put them in.

I always have sandwiches made the night before. Since we are lucky enough to have triple coupons here at Bloom, I have stocked up on a LOT of pre-packaged items at a cheap rate. So they just grab and go!

I save time by having my husband make the school lunches

I use Ziploc 1 c. containers to pack puddings, jello, yogurt and applesauce. I allows my daughter to enjoy a larger variety of snacks than the prepackaged ones. It allows me to control the amount of added sugar she is consuming.

I include my son’s and we make their lunch the night before together. I buy in bulk then break items down to lunch size. I freeze gogurts and by the time they have lunch they are thawed out.

I have my oldest help make lunches for her and her sister the night before. It’s one of her chores which she doesn’t fuss about b/c she likes being mom’s helper and making big girl decisions.

I let my picky eaters help pick good-for-you snacks when doing the weekly shopping. This allows them to have more control over what goes into the lunch box each evening We often make our own trail mix after choosing different things to add to it.

I think if you put the veggies, cookies, other snack items in snack bags when you first bring them home you will be able to grab them and put them in the lunches saving time!

Our family tip is to include the child in the decision of what to pack … we ALWAYS use re-usable containers vs baggies. We have also found if we purchase things in bulk we save a lot of money … get those goodies the kids enjoy for lunch that last a long time. Our children seem to enjoy cucumbers sliced and mixed w/ cottage cheese for a light but filling extra with their lunch.

I make the kids re-use their baggies! they only throw them away if they get nasty. . .most of the time, the same baggies can be used for most of the week.
Also, due to the sugar that is in most juice boxes, etc. My kids drink water with their lunch – which I already buy anyways, so not buying the juice boxes saves $$!

Put some carrot sticks or some type of good for you finger food with the sandwich. As long as they eat something good for them, you can tide them over until dinner time.

My daughter has her snack at the end of the day .. I put her snack drink in the freezer when I get up and then put it in her snack bag just before leaving for school .. she says her drink is still chilled when it comes snack time!

We have a morning (coffee) hot chocolate, while dressing for school. Afterward, of course keeping both eyes on the clock, brush teeth, hair and wash up. Children clear table, and only if, they are done by 6:oo, they are aloowed to watch “Between the Lions” until they leave for the school bus at 6:10. They get picked up at 6:15 and school starts at 7:40. They eat breakfast at school, becasue the time they eat and arrived is over an hours, and their tummies need for until lunch at noon.

We got school were the kids have to eat lunch and have a snzck in the morning. Since I have four kids I try to make sonething whole made once a week and in bulk. My kids favorite is puppychow. You can make a lot and seems to last longer then grocery store snacks.

I used coupons to buy Horizon organic milk that was on sale. Strawberry and chocolate milk are a special treat!

I save money on packing lunch by buying the small the extra small tupperware containers. Then I buy big jars of applesauce make my own pudding on Sunday night. I then pack the pudding and applesauce in those containers. It saves a bunch verses buying the individual premade containers.

We send water with flavor packets for snack or get the flavor water pouches. I also send them cups of dry cereal. Some of them have the yogurt coated and they like the little sugar surprise.

my best advice has already be said, but I think it saves so much time and stress….pack the lunch the night before. Mornings are always crazy, if you pack the lunch that leaves one less thing to stress about in the morn.

I broke down and bought a thermos this year finally. My son LOVES it! Plus he drinks a lot of water, and it’s easy to fill his thermos with water and put it in his lunchbox. It’s cheaper than buying fruit drinks all the time and a lot healthier.

This is the first year of making lunches for me – but I like everyone else’s ideas…. my takeaways are…. buy in bulk w/ snack sized bags, pack things you know they’ll eat and do it the night before!

We have a local store that sells products that are close to the sell by date at VERY discounted prices. I just picked up a case (24) of yogurs with Oreo topping for $2.99. They expired about 5 days after I bought them, so I threw them in the freezer. I pull one out in the morning and put it in my kids lunch boxes. They are thawed by lunch time! Great way to keep the kids eating healthy and saving my pocketbook some much needed funds!

wow great package

Lunches are hard to do here…i have a 11 year old son who is so picky….The best tip i have is to make your own lunchables….he loves lunchables…but they are expensive…We buy ham and cheese and i use a cookie cutter to make the circles..i add in a frozen water bottle and it keeps the lunch cool

I have always invovled my daughter in packing her lunch from the grocery store to making her sandwich. Also we make her lunches at night.

Last summer I started using Japanese “bento” style lunch containers (look at http://www.lunchinabox.net for great descriptions and instructions) to pack all the lunches in the house. Nothing disposable, so we aren’t buying 80 zillion zipper baggies and filling up more landfill space! It has the added advantage of adding a “cute” factor, and the kids are more likely to eat a bigger variety of food that way. (They don’t like tomatoes much, but if a cherry or grape tomato is on a pick that makes it look like a red balloon, it gets gobbled right up!)

I definitely pack the lunch the night before. I also try to buy the staples when they are on sale. My son especially likes a surprise treat occasionally.

I make my son’s lunch the afternoon before, and get his input on what he likes…but instead of making it an open-ended question, I give him choices: grapes or strawberries? Pretzels or goldfish?

I also like to tuck in little notes or cards – he loves finding surprise “I love you” notes!

One tip that has made my lunch packing experience cheaper is, do not buy the individually packaged items. We usually buy in bulk or the normal sized boxes then simply fill my ziplocs. Also, what we do is get everything ready for the week on sunday night. Meaning we get all the goldfish, raisins and so forth set up in my cabinet. Then I get all the yogurt, cheese sticks and other fridge stuff set in a little basket that is kept in the fridge. This way my kids can put their lunches together themselves.

Oh, lunches for my fineky 5 yr old could consist of pizza lunchables everyday, but I’ve learned that pizza sauce, sliced mozz. chesse, and .95 cent sauce makes a very inexpensive pizza sandwich and she gobbles it up!

I don’t have kids but for myself, I keep the extras at the office. Pudding, applesauce, crackers, etc and then I only have to bring the main course each day. I have started to cook something big on the weekends adn then pack it in individual containers for the rest of the week’s lunches.

Well, this will be my first year packing a lunch. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what it is that I am going to pack (DD is SUPER picky, and doesnt like sandwiches..not even PB&J)!

I was thinking of possibly going the lunchable route..well the cheap way that is..lol. Buying individual (and on sale) crackers, cheese and lunch meats.

But…I guess I will save time by packing the night before (while ironing uniforms as well).

My daughter loves water. Freeze a water bottle that is half full overnight. In the morning, refill with filtered water. The drink will be cold for lunch and keep other things packed with the lunch cold as well.

We save money by making almost everything from scratch. I bake my own bread, make my own applesauce and make my own yogurt. All I need to add is a piece of fruit and then my daughter’s good to go!

I like to have the kids help, We pack the night before. We also use water bottel with drink mix to go packets.

First to save money, I buy in bulk and use snack size baggies. I also don’t do too many sandwiches. I switch it up by putting leftovers (like my son’t “special” mac & cheese w/hot dogs) that don’t need to be heated up, or a wrap which he thinks is so cool. If I want him to have a warm lunch then I put it in a thermos container. In the winter it’s nice. I make sure he has his juice, his “entree”, veggie/fruit, and something fun like a fruit snack, applesauce or candy.

We also bought thermas this year to use left overs

I am a big coupon cutter & money saver…lunches include items that are on sale and package in Tupperware containers. THe lunch bag is even from TUpperware! No waste, no leaking, etc.
WE also pack up the night before in order to save morning time and disorder.

I keep things simple. Small portions are key. If I sent huge portions the kids eat less because they are over-whelmed with the food. I use the snack sized plastic bags in their lunches to hold their fruit, pretzels, etc. Less waste equals less money spent on each prepared meal.
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I do as much as I can the night before and leave things grouped together, either in the refrigerator or on the counter so they can be quickly put into the bag in the morning. Snack bags work well for chips, crackers, cookies, cut-up veggies. Small single-serving tupperware containers work for applesauce, jello, pudding, cottage cheese, etc. Thanks for the tips of freezing PB&J – I will have to try that!

I make easy-mac (or off brand) mixed with canned veggie of choice (usually corn or peas or broccoli florets) and an apple sauce—cheap easy fast! The mac and cheese mix I make in 30 seconds and it perfectly fits into a take and toss bowl with lid and a plastic fork or spoon toss in a bottle of 100% pure apple juice and a yummy candy or pudding cup for a desert and he is ready to go! He can either take the bowl home to me or toss it wither way he gets a healthy meal in a hurry and I may or may not have dishes to clean! lol!!!

I always pack most of it the night before. I also buy the large containers of snacks and put in zip lock baggies. Also look for sales and coupons on the items you know that you will eventually be buying.

I pack snacks/sandwiches in re-usable containers, even drinks go into thermoses. Having a menu ahead of time makes it faster, because it was already thought out.

I’ve turned to Bento Lunches for my kids. They are small and compartmentalized and you generally pack just a small taste of a variety of things. My kids think they are adorable and get super excited about what’s in their lunch each day.

They’re picky eaters, so finding a way to make lunch “fun” means less waste. Also, bento boxes are way too small for pre-packaged food, so it forces my hand into packing healthier food. Since I’m just doing small bits of everything, it’s a great way to clean out the fridge too.

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I do it the night before. You have to do it the night before or it won’t happen in our house. I coupon so they get whatever is on sale and my kids have learned not to get too attached to one particular snack. One week they might get Oreo cakesters but if cookies aren’t on sale the next week they might get homemade cookies which are not better in their opinions

I buy in bulk and make lunches the night before. I also plan a week or two worth of lunches so that it is simple and mindless – I can make the lunches while waiting for dinner to cook or while keeping my husband company as he does the dishes.

For my 3 boys lunch, I like to buy in bulk. We use BJ’s wholesale and I stock up about once a month on things I know I use in their lunch. Before, we used juice boxes but this year we are trying to go more green and save more green by using a thermos instead of juice boxes. TO save time, I individualize the snacks, chips, goldfish, etc ahead of time and keep them in a large bowl in the cabinet so that every morning, they pick what they want and throw it in there. I like using the smuckers uncrustables but they are expensive so I end up doing the old fashioned pb and j sandwiches.

i don’t pack my daughter’s lunch yet, but i definitely pack my husband’s every day!! the key for him is leftovers rather than sandwiches, and he definitely loves a piece of fresh fruit in there every day. sandwiches remind him too much of his bachelor days… he says that everytime he opens his bag and sees leftovers that i made from scratch the night before, he’s so happy to be married.

Always put a little something in to share with a friend so buying ib bulk helps.

*use reusable everything! Napkins, utensils, sandwich holders, etc. The plastic Gerber baby food containers work very well. I ask my friends to save them for me, no worries if they are lost.
*buy in bulk and repackage in these reusable containers.
*make homemade breads, granola bars, trail mix etc., freeze them and pull them out when needed. Will defrost in time for lunch.
*don’t forget about leftovers like pasta, pizza, chicken to pack for lunch in a thermos.

To save money and time try the following. Clip your coupons, use them at stores that offer douple/triple coupon days. To save time purchase a few lunchables for your kids each week (takes no prep time). This will allow your kids to switch up from time to time. They all get sick of sandwich’s. My oldest daughter loves mac-n-cheese so when I make it the night before I always set some aside for her to take to lunch the next day. Just a added treat for her lol.

Definitely pack the night before. We also use a sandwich box so her meat or sandwich doesn’t get crushed. We put her cheese in there as well. I always put a note in there for a small surprise and a way to tell her I am thinking of her and love her. It is best to keep it simple esp since she only has 20 minutes to eat.

We save a lot of money by shopping for as many things at Aldi as we can get, and also, by not buying in to the prepackaged small bags of chips/cookies, etc. It’s just as easy for us to pop some of these things in a ziploc or storage container for our three daughters!

I like to pack the lunch the night before with my kid! I let him pick what he would like in it! What type of Sandwich he would like, if he would like crackers/pretzels/appeal sauce, a little thing for fruit and then a cookie.
I use reusable bags and he has a lunch box to carry it all in.

For making packing lunches easier for my family I go ahead and wash fruits and vegs (carrots etc) and place them in containers for the week then all we have to do is grab and go for snacks and lunches.

It’s a definite time saver to make the lunches the night before. And, we have tried to make our lunches as green as possible. No more disposable containers or baggies. He gets a reusable water bottle, sandwich box, and container for fruit. I give him half an apple for breakfast, and put the other half in his lunchbag. We also buy PB in the large commercial size containers. It saves money and waste. I love all these time and money saving tips. Thanks!

Like everyone else I bag my snacks instead of buying the pricer single serve sized ones. I also use a thermos which helps when using re-heated leftovers. The kids are more likely to eat them when they are warm so there is less waste and more savings!

we make a couple days lunches at a time to save time in getting everything out each night/morning. We also use reusable sandwich and snack containers instead of the baggies that just get thrown away and buy in bulk to fill the containers.

Packing lunches the night before really helps me save time in the morning. Mornings can be so chaotic sometimes that it’s so much easier when the lunches are packed and all I have to do is grab the right bag for the right person (child or husband) out of the refrigerator. Give them their lunch, a kiss, and out they go!

My best money saving lunch hint is to get my kids involved. If they choose what goes into their lunches, there’s much less waste. And no matter how many deals I find, I’m not saving money if they don’t eat it. So they get to choose (from healthy options… And occassional not so healthy treats) and we make lunches after dinner so there’s no last minute rushing in the morning.

I make sandwiches for the week and stick them in the fridge or freezer. I divide things like chex mix, or dried fruit, goldfish crackers, treats etc. for the week and put in containers so we pick out what we want the night before, stuff our lunch bags,and add refridgerated items in the morning and run. It’s so much cheaper to buy in bulk and divide it up yourself into reusable containers. We like to make our own treat combinations over the weekends. A big hit is pretzels and mini marshmallows. Or corn chips, popcorn, and white chocolate chips.

I put as much stuff in the frezzer s i can. go gurts , grapes, sandwiches etc.. the night before. I also make ham and cheeses wraps w/o the bread.when things get low in the house, We make bags of mixes, raisens , marshmallows , pretzels etc.. ( excuse my typing and sp trying to nurse baby

My tip is to keep changing it up and put something different or unexpected every few days. I always always include some sort of fruit or vegetable.

For hot lunches ex. mac and cheese and chicken nuggets – make them in the morning and make them really hot – pack them and by lunch time they are cooled off enough for your child to eat!

Buy snacks in bulk and pack in snack bags ahead of time. Also, always…always use coupons.

There are some great suggestions here! I too try to pack lunch the night before and package our own snacks in reusable containers. One thing I like to pack for my daughter is edamame (soybeans). We pack them frozen and it thaws out by lunch. It is a great snack for small fingers and is a wonderful source of protein. I love the idea about freezing the drinks so they act as an icepack. Thanks!

making sandwiches and lunches for several days at a time so we don’t have to take everything out each morning/night

We pack lunches the night before and we are using reusable containers for a waste free lunch at school. After school he takes the responsibility to unpack the lunchbox also. We buy and stock up on things when they are on sale.

my daughter loves to have and get everything ready for herself before she goes to school…so she will fix her snacks and stuff at nite where she is ready to leave (besides fixin the hair) of course. i think that gives her some responsiblity of her own.

I save money by buying resusable wraps for their sandwiches. They open up as a placemat, too. They have a fun print on them.

Actually, I get everything organized; all veggies cleaned and cut up on Sunday evening. Then, for those items that will last, I get them bagged and packed for the week. (Carrots, little containers of dip, peanut butter crackers, pretzels, etc.) The night before, I make the sandwiches and other fresh items, grab the prepacked items, and we’re good to go! Trying to do things in the morning is too crazy and just does not work. Thanks for the fun giveaway!

For me it is all about having things prepared the night before. Or as much as I can. Then I’m not running around in the morning. I also like to make things ahead of time and store them in the freezer. Like make some healthier type of cookie and put two or three in ziplocs and that way they are ready and the night before I can put them with the other things I am preparing. I also like to stock up when things are on sale and with coupons so I have them available.

HOnestly, to save time and money, the best thing I have found is having my children purchase school lunches. At $1.60 each, it would be very hard for me to create that compares nutritionally for the same price. They get a good variety of fruits and veggies, good main dish options (with back up choices if they don’t like the main dish). So my kids buy lunch at school, it saves me Time and Money!

I like to use a chart I found on Martha Stewart that lets kids “design” their own lunches, then pack it the night before. I also like using a frozen juice box or bottle of water as an icepack. Thank you for this wonderful giveaway!

I have always made lunches the night before including my own.

I found that if I make the lunches the night before it makes life easier in the morning. I buy healthy food that that the kids love and give them a variety of choices so they don’t get bored. I give my daughter the freedom to help pack her lunch with me. She loves to pick what’s in her lunch and to help me make them. She also loves that we have that time together and I love it too! Later when she’s sleeping I write her a little note that tells her how much I love her so it brightenes her day.

By packing my son’s lunch, I know exactly what he is eating at school. We buy snack items in bulk too thereby using reusable snack containers. So we feel pretty good about healthy lunches, reducing our waste and saving money!

I purchased small snack size containers to use, rather than baggies. My duaghter will actually bring home the containers, but she always threw away the baggies. I love to sneak in a little note from Mom. She loves those!

Thanks for the chance to win such a great lunch pack.

We pack lunches together the night before, my son likes to use cookie cutters to cut his sandwiches into shapes. I also buy in bulk and use small re-usable containers to cut back on waste. I’ve found that re-using our plastic babyfood containers with lids are great for single servings.

Check out your local thrift shop! Last year my son and I found a great thermos for soup, a box for his sandwich (no more hundreds of plastic bags) and little Tupperware perfect for raisins or dips. A big sandwich is too daunting so we quarter it and have no dressing on it so it wont get soggy instead we add a dip container filled with a type of salad dressing. Another change of pace lunch is homemade lunchables. Slices of cheese, meat and crackers are easy to put together at the beginning of the week and can be used as lunches and after school snacks alternating.

I use a thermos to pack concentrated juice I make at home. I pack a sandwich in a sandwich saver and containers. My son has an insulated lunch bag that we use as well.

I save time by putting supper leftovers in small portion controlled containers and then packing them in lunches for the following day.

We make my son’s lunch the night before. I’m lucky b/c he likes pbj ALL the time, and he gets to pick out his own snack.

I have 7 year old twins so we definitely pack lunches and snacks the night before. I let them choose what type of sandwich they’d like and what snacks they want since they never want the same thing.

We plan our lunches for school for the month, when we recieve the lunch menu from school we sit down together and figure out what days my children want to buy their lunch from school and which days they want to pack their own lunches… the night before we look at the calander and if it is a day that they want to bring their luch they help me

I always make lunches the night before and put everything in the fridge or on the counter, then in the morning I can quickly pack the lunchboxes and go!

I make homemade lunchables using butter crackers, pizza sauce, and shredded cheese or butter crackers, mini meat and cheese slices. I have mini containers that each item fits in and the kids can open the containers and fix them in any order they want.

Also, I do leftovers: anything that is decent tasting at room temperature since they can’t heat food up. This works well since they don’t like anything hot. They have to let everything get cold before they eat it anyway.

I try and make lunches the night before and buy items on sale.

We save money by buying the foods that my child is loving at the moment. If he is really into carrots, we buy carrots, ham sandwiches, whatever. That way we waste a lot less food and as long as he is making healthy choices then I don’t have a problem with it.

To save time, my husband makes his lunch the night before, for work the next day. Our youngest makes her lunch at the same time, with him. It saves time in the morning, and they’re doing something together!

We pack numerous individual bags of snacks for quick grabs when packing lunches. I also purchase individual packs of peanut or almond butter, so we can just toss them in with crackers or celery or bread. This greatly reduces the time needed to put together a lunch.

To save time, we print the lunch menu off at the beginning of the month and mark which days our girls want to pack a lunch. We generally wash the ziploc bags (used for a sandwich)and reuse them until they are too nasty to use again:) We use re-usable containers for fruit & other snacks.

I found out that you have to hunt for those deals or cut coupons. I don’t have time. I go to Big Lots and they seem to have a great variety of snack stuff for the kids and at a great price. I also don’t have time the night before because I work all day. I give the kid the responsibility to pack their lunches. There is a shelf that has all the snacks they can pick and choose what juice flavor or what treats they want to eat for the day. I still make sandwiches but now I don’t need to do every step for them. The kids work as a team on getting it done and I have more time to make breakfast and get myself ready for the day.

We make things the night before so we can just grab it in the morning.

I find that buying in bulk helps alot. Things like fruit cups that won’t go bad. I also find that if I make the lunches the night before, I don’t have to get up quite so early!

I usually buy bulks of snacks, more easier and save’s me time not going to the store everyweek. Make their lunch the night before, put whatever snack into a ziplock bag and making their fav sandwich. Plus leaving a little note.

Go-gurt tubes, grapes, & sandwiches can be frozen. When they are in the lunchbox, it keeps everything cool, yet they will thaw out by lunchtime! No extra ice packs!

when i pack my grandkids lunches….always buy in bulk, and pack the night before if possible.

We always buy the big bags of pretzels, chips, cereal, etc. and take the time to put them into snack bags. Hassle but totally worth it. We freeze Yoplait Yogurt sticks so when he has lunch I don’t have to worry about it being bad by the time he eats lunch.

[...] of Giveaways for over 70 giveaways hosted by bloggers to enter. And don’t miss Amy’s $150 Lunchbox Giveaway that includes an iPod Shuffle (you may want to keep that prize for yourself). I hope you’ll [...]

Save on snacks. When the large candy bars go on sale or are free I buy them and break them up into smaller portions and wrap them in tin foil. Make for a great inexpensive treat! Looking forward to the outcome of this contest. Lots of great tips and suggestions.

We pack most of the lunch the night before. I use reusable containers so theres not as much waiste. I also let my son pick out what he wants to bring so I know he will eat it. I also freeze his drink. This way by lunch time it is thawed out and cold. It also helps keep the rest of the lunch cold. I do this with go gurt too.

My daughter and I come up with a “meal plan” for each week. This makes buying groceries more straight forward, and I can bag up portions of the lunches for the week ahead of time. Also, buying lunch every once in while helps too!

This is great:) I don’t have any tips that haven’t been shared, but have learned LOTS! I have 4 kids, three in school this year. We make assembly line lunches for the next day, after school.

We, too, have found that buying our lunch supplies in bulk saves us money. I’ve found the re-usable baggies and KNOW they are a great investment for our house and the environment!

When I come home from the grocery store, I try to make individual servings right away. I take the box of crackers and divide it up into individual serving bags. I try to do the same with anything else. It makes making lunches easy and quick!

To save time, I ask my daughter what she wants the night before and make it then. That way if she wants to help she can. I put in the fridge and throw an ice pack in on the way out the door. To save money, I use my coupons to by extra treats that might be on sale. Fruit is always a bonus and fills her up.

I always make my kids lunches the night before that way we are not supper rusehed in the morning and we always buy bulk of snack items for lunches. Like raisens why spen for the money for the cute little boxes when you can buy bulk bag and throw them in a zip lock or even better right in the sandwish container with saves bags. We always use reuseable containers and drink containers! Saves money,time and the planet!

I pack a breakfast & lunch for my husband each night. He gets healthy meals & we don’t spend needless money at 7-11 or McD. usually a yogurt & fruit for breakfast & left overs from dinner for a hot lunch!

We buy in bulk and when items are on sell. I also have my daughter help with lunches the night before.

With 3 boys, my hubby and alot of times extras in our house we buy what we can in bulk and put them in reuseable containers when possible or baggies. I like the snack size baggies best. It saves alot of time and money on all the lunches. We also try and buy as much as we can when things are on sale AND we have a coupon…..(plus it gives us a chance to try something that we normally wouldnt spend the money on.)

We buy everything in bulk and repackage ourselves in re-usable containers. We freeze juice pouches, yogurt sticks and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (or one of them eats peanut butter and marshmallow cream). These are stored in bins in our chest freezer and in the morning while the kids are eating breakfast we do a roll call as to what each one would like in their lunch. My youngest is 2 1/2 and she drops the items into each of her brothers lunches. The boys like that Lillian “made” their lunch and she likes helping her big brothers out. Everything thaws in the lunch box and is ready to eat at lunch.

My oldest started Kindergarten on Wedsnesday, what a mix of emotions!! Now the frustration of what to pack for lunch begins! There are some great ideas posted already!

We make our lunches the night before, so that it is one less thing we need to be doing in the morning crunch.

I prepare my child’s lunch the night before, which helps save time in the morning and, of course, money! Purchasing lunch/snack items on sale also helps.

We save money by buying materials in larger packets (not from Sams and other mega stores, but larger than the convenience packs), and re-pack them daily into re-useable steel containers. I actually have steel containers for all my kids lunches and snacks and send them to school with those, and pray they bring them back too
In addition, I buy and freeze things like cheese, bread etc when on sale and thaw on an as needed basis, make things that can be easily assembled (trail mix to the kids specific taste so they won’t throw stuff away etc).

Freezing the sandwich is great. My girls even like it if it’s still alittle frozen at lunchtime. We use reusable rubbermaid dishes or a small thermos for supper leftovers. No plastic baggies. Like everyone else I never buy individual portions, it’s the full size. Having the girls involved in preparation is fun and they take pride in the task. They always come home with an empty lunchbox, so it works. The personal artwork I draw and message on the napkin is now expected of me. I wait until their out of the kitchen so it’s a surprise. Honestly, they don’t peek until lunch. (This cracks me up) Their classmates ask to see what I came up with. Try it.

I find that having my daughter pack her lunch the night before eliminates a lot of the craziness in the morning (she’s soooooo slow to get out of bed) An added bonus to this is there is never anything in there she can say she doesn’t like (she packed it)I just check to make sure she has something healthy in there. Buying the regular bags of snacks, etc and breaking them down into sandwich bags is much cheaper than buying the ready snack bags.

I use leftovers from lunch. Since we stockpile making dinner is inexpensive. I then take something from dinner the night before and make it new for instance, I will cut up grilled chicken and throw it in a tortilla shell for a wrap. Add some fruit, veggies or yogurt and you have a great lunch. Plus I don’t have to spend extra money on lunch meat.

I’d love to get this give-away!

I make the lunch in the morning. Friuts and veggies cut out and arranged in bags the night before though. My daughter eats pretty much eveything, so whatever I pack that day, I know she’ll love.

i keep it simple and save money by making sure my kids have sensible portions in their lunches

I would love this prize,for some reason my kids are not wanting to eat in the lunch room this year.

Over the years I have learned not to purchase lunch items my kids won’t eat. So, I only buy items that will be eaten and not too much of the same thing at one time. My daughter quickly tires of the same things over & over.

This is my son’s first year of needing to pack a lunch, but I am discovering that if I ask him what he wants the night before and then make as much as I can then it makes the morning so much easier! Great giveaway!
Thanks!

I usually save time by preparing and packing mostly everything the night before. Such as cutting fruit, veggies, drinks, snack packs, etc. They can all go into the lunch box the night before and the lunch box can go into the fridge. I usually wait until the morning to make the sandwich because I know I myself hate soggy yucky bread and that is what usually will happen if you make and pack the sandwich the night before.

We homeschool but we like to save time so the kids can get outside and play longer. To do that, we usually make plenty of leftovers for supper and like to just warm them up as our lunch the next day. If they didn’t like the leftover, then they can make themselves a quesadilla or pb&j sandwich!

My best time saver is precooked chicken from Oscar Mayer. My son loves it plain dipped in ranch and my husband and I love it dressed up with worcestershire sauce and grill mates to top potatoes.

So many good tips already mentioned. . . .I use small plastic containers and by the plain yogurt and mix in some flavored jelly (strawberry, blueberry. . .). That way the favorite flavor is always in the house. Making them reuse the plastic container makes be feel better about the enviroment too.

Making lunch the night before is the only thing that works for us. The mornings are just too hectic!

We always take left overs from supper and go around the table thinking of new, creative ways to put them into a different meal. Who ever has the best idea “wins” and that gets put into lunch the next day!

We buy in bulk at the big-box stores and then distribute it into snack size bags to same money. We separate it out when we get home from the store and then it is easy to just grab and pack.

My tip for saving time is making my daughter;s lunch the night before.

I save money by using coupons, purchasing things on sale and instead of buying snacks that are alrady pre-packaged I buy bigger bags of snacks and simply put them in re-usable containers.

My tip is that I buy as much as I can in bulk and then use little ziploc bags or plastic containers each day. I also prepare the lunch the night before so I have extra minutes in the morning. I always watch for sales on things that we use alot of and buy them whenever they are on sale.

I like to make my daughter’s lunch the night before and also like to prepare things in advance for the week. Maybe cut up fruit or something like that. I also make sure that it is something she likes to eat and is also healthy for her.

My money saving tip is COUPONS, COUPONS,COUPONS. I clip, print, and snag them before I grocery shop every two weeks and I save about 40 to 50 dollars every trip.

I like to use the snack size ziploc style bags and parcel out crackers or pretzels from a large bag rather than buying the pre-packaged snack size bags of the same item.

I use make ahead menus so that their is variety and so we do not buy more than we need and waste food.

I found a way to save time by making lunches by always making sure during dinner I make a little bit extra to put in his lunch for tomorrow as left overs. I put the leftovers in a tupperware and it’s ready to go in his box with crackers in the morning and we’re ready to go!

I use the snack size ziplock bags and when I get home from the store I put any crackers, goldfish, cookies etc. into the single serving bags. Then when it is time to pack a lunch Maddie knows she can pick one item fro the sweet basket and one from the cracker basket. It really works for us.

We buy in bulk at Sam’s club and then try to make lunches before bed the night before. We also clip a lot of coupons which saves a ton of money. And with coupons, sometimes you can buy the individually wrapped items for cheaper than the bulk items. So coupons are great!

Invest in a couple “kid” size reusable containers for a sandwich, snacks, and a drink instead of buying bags and juice boxes every week for school lunches. It is much cheaper and better for the enviroment.

Making lunches the night before. Before that asking the kids what they want to eat and letting them participate in the lunch making process, ensures them eating their lunch.

Wow, I guess five is the lucky number! As with mom #’s 12 and 31, I also have 5 children ranging in ages 14-8. I am not one to pack lunches a whole lot as I have found that reduced lunch at school is a WHOLE lot cheaper. Although, I have recently signed up for all these cool freebie and money saving things on the internet and I am VERY excited to see how much of an impact it will make on my decision to pack lunches. My youngest son wants so badly to pack his lunch, but with 5 children the cost of that can become VERY expensive. So, I appreciate very much the opportunity to get a boost on my “packing lunch” journey! Thanks so much to you and all of the moms who have posted some really great advice on how to make packing lunch more inexpensive! Good luck to everyone!

Homemade bean and cheese burritos are really fast to make, and they freeze very well. We don’t mind them lukewarm, but it is very easy to zap them in the microwave in the morning and pack them in a thermal container. It makes a nice alternative to a sandwich. Also, a pack of 10 tortillas, a bag of dry beans, and a large bag of shredded cheese will make 10 days of burritos for less than 10 dollars. Add some fresh veggie sticks, fruit and drink, and you have an inexpensive but healthy lunch that my whole family enjoys.

On sundays I make up the lunches for the week – easy to do cause the kids are on a peanutbutter and jelly faze. Everything goes into resealable bags and then into the freezer. Then on the morning of school i just pull out whats needed pop it into the lunch boxes and its thawed by the time the eat lunch. Bonus is it stays cold in their cubbyholes with out refrigeration.

I always shop the sales. My kids are great and will eat the same thing and don’t mind. They just know what must have been on sale.

I homeschool my children (6 kids ranging from almost 8 yrs old to 8 monhts old) and the kids love to help make lunch each day! They each help with sandwich making and they pick the sids too from pears or grapes and then maybe some chips too. If they help, they are more likely to eat it!

I like to pack a small frozen water bottle with lunch. It keeps it cool and they can drink it after school when they’re so thirsty and begging me to pull into a drive thru. Also putting small baggies of fish, cookies in the car for pick up since they eat lunch so early -saves time and money.

To save time we fix all the snacks on Sunday so during the week all we have to do is make the sandwiches.

Starting this year I will have four children in school. For me, time is much more valuable and so the kids will be eating/buying school lunches for the most part. However, when they go on a field trip that requires a “disposible” lunch, I pack their lunches the night before since our mornings are so rushed.

My daughter is 13 and old enough to pack her own lunches now (which she does the night before), and since she’s old enough to understand, I teach her about nutrition and encourage her to make healthy choices when it comes to deciding what to put in her lunch every day.

Instead of buying little prepackaged snacks, I make “mommy mix.” I buy generic snack bags and mix cereal, pretzels, raisins or MnM’s together. They love these because they’re always different!
I am my schools Bax Tops coordinator so I’m very excited at the opportunity to win this! Thanks!

i dont buy name brands and i can get a weeks worth of lunches for under 30 bucks

I had a shelf in the fridge dedicated to lunch items. Then the night before I could grab easily to pack their lunches. And coupons made it so much easier to save on what they really liked

I make lots of dinner so theres leftovers…my son likes to take them….and hes in high school! Saves tons of money!

Instead of buying a lunchbox we make our own! All you have to do is buy a plain colored bag ( i bought mine at hobby lobby) and buy some gel pens/markers/stickers. we had so much fun decorating their bags!
to make it even more fun we invent a new food to make every day of the week. like one time we decided to make an inside out sandwich. all we had to do is buy some breadsticks and rolled a piece of turkey ham or a slice of cheese and rolled it around the breadstick.

I pack my daughter’s snack the night before, in small Rubbermaid Takealongs containers, which are light, reusable and relatively cheap. Saves time in the morning and saves money/waste from using plactic bags.

I like to involve my daugther in choosing what she wants to eat and do that the night before school so it is one less thing to worry about in the morning.

I always pack lunches the night before so I am not rushing or forgeting in the morning. I also get the kids involved and let them pick out the foods that they want to eat, but with some healthy direction. We will go to the produce section and I let them pick their favorite fruits and veggies for this week. When they pick it out, they are way more excited to eat the healthy options! I also switch it up between sandwiches, wraps, pizza, or just cheese, crackers, and turkey-so they don’t get sick of eating the same things everyday.

It is a huge time saver in the AM to make lunches the night before. We stick with the classic PB&J and then bag our own snacks & a fill a drink bottle to go with it. He always eats more when he eats with friends!

At the beginning of the week I create 5 containers of vegetables like baby carrots, 5 containers of fruit, 5 containers of snacks such as crackers or chips, 5 containers of treats such as cookies or cake. This cuts down on the preparation / assembly time to just the main dish which may be leftovers or a sandwich. Just grab and go!

My little one isn’t in school yet, but when I was in school I took my lunch and found that it was much easier for me to make it the night before instead of trying to do it in the morning when I was half asleep. And to keep my sandwich bread from getting soggy I’d pack condiments from restaurants that I could just squeeze on when I got the cafeteria.

My son won’t need to take a lunch until next year, but my husband takes his lunch to work everyday. My best advice on keeping costs down is to stock up when things are on sale, like fruit snacks at Kroger this week. And don’t get pulled in the the individually packaged items. Instead, repackage them yourself. Do this all at once for the coming week to help save time.

freezing juice boxes does work to help keep lunches cold beieve me on that one…it works

I also buy in bulk but use storage containers instead of all the ziploc bags. They can be washed and reused instead of throwing bags away.

The regular lunches at my son’s school always has something special on the menu on Fridays. So that my son doesn’t feel left out, I try to give him a special snack too (without breaking the bank).

This week I bought a large package of Jello Chocolate pudding mix on sale for 88 cents at Piggly Wiggly. I then put the prepared pudding into individual, re-usable, 1/2 cup containers and popped them in the fridge. Now he has a tasty treat, I’m being eco-friendly by reducing my packaging waste, and it turned out to be really cheap! Less than $2.50 (considering the cost of the milk used to prepare it) for a whole week’s worth of desserts for his lunch!

Making the lunches the night before and using coupons for items on sale (even if you don’t currently need them) are also great ways to save time and money.

Involve the kids in choosing. If they don’t like it, they won’t eat it.

I pack all snacks in little plastic containers instead of using ziploc bags. This helps control waste and saves money.

I always pack the night before. Use a reusable water bottle. And I buy in bulk then put in small reusable containers instead of baggies. And on special occasions a themed napkin (birthday, halloween, Christmas, etc.) And especially on tough days and whenever days a love note from mom and on birthdays a tiny prize and a birthday wish.

Pack lunch the night before. Include the child in the lunch packing process so that you know that they are going to like what they are going to eat the next day.

Buy in bulk and then divy out in single servings.

I always pack lunches the night before, not in the morning when I’m sleepy. I look for items for lunches on sale and stock up on them. If it’s an item with a long shelf life, then I will stock up more. I try to offer healthy choices and something fun at the same time.
To save money, I will use leftovers in sandwiches (meatloaf, ham, roast beef or chicken). It stretches my budget and then the food doesn’t get wasted!

Now that my kids are older I make them responsible for their lunches. They have money on an account at school if they want to eat in the lunchroom and p,enty of things available around the house if they want to take lunch.

I don’t have to pack lunches for my kids just yet, but I do pack them for my husband. I usually cook a bit of extra food at dinner and give him the left-overs the next day in his lunch box. I also got a fun sandwich container for him. It has a dinosaur on it. I’ll use it for my son next year, but until then, my husband gets a chuckle out of seeing it in his lunch box and I save a bit of money on baggies.

Freezing juice boxes, they’ll be ready and slushy-like for lunch!

I buy snacks in bulk which makes it a little cheaper. I try to also pack a sandwhich, a fruit and a snack, plus a drink. I have found that a sandwhich doesn’t have to be your typical bread with meat. I have sent him to school with tuna salad in a container with crackers on the side, a hotdog bun with peanut butter and a banana in the middle. My theory is make lunch fun.

We buy in bulk and invest in tons of ziploc snack baggies. We alternate with sandwiches one day and small lunchables (usually $1 at the grocery store) the next. Plus we pack the lunches the night before so they know what they have, and know it will be ready to run out the door…in case we’re running late.

thanks so much for all of your tips!

We (my 8 yr old daughter & I) make her sandwich in the evening put it with her juice box in the fridge. Then we put her side dish in her lunch bag and put it on the counter. So in the morning it’s just grab & go!

I find the best way to save money is to buy in bulk and separate in reusable containers.

My kids and I love packing the lunchbox every Sunday evening. We go the grocery in the afternoon in order to get things they will eat. That evening is a special time together while preparing the boxes we make up silly dances to the latest hits.

I save time by getting things ready the night before so that way when we are running out the door it is already put together. I save money by researching sale items in the local grocery store and clipping coupons. I try to use coupons when an item is on sale which makes for a better deal.

This is always a struggle for us. My son likes to buy lunch at school so that he can be like the other kids. The way we address this issue is we let him pick a day or two to buy and then he gets a say in what is packed for his lunch. We have found that there is a better change of him actually eating the lunch if it is something he picked out and helped make.

What I have done is made a laminated lunch list that goes on the inside door of the pantry. On Sunday each week the children use a marker to mark on the list what type of sandwiches they will want each day that week as well as what kind of fruit, what kind of snack and what to drink. And I only have things listed to choose from that I want them to be eating. At the end of the week, we just clean the list off and it is ready for the next week. It is a huge time saver to know what they plan on eating all week long!

We make sandwiches on Sunday and freeze them. This way they are thawed by lunchtime but still cold.

We pack our lunches the night before to save time in the AM. Also my 5 and 8 year olds help pack their own lunch – they have learned about eating a balanced meal and that if they don’t like what mom packs you better help out!

I use coupons faithfully for whatever snacks and food my family needs.. I have saved a lot of money by doing this and a lot of times get things for free or very inexpensive.. This is a great thing everyon should try this!!!

My helpful hint is to freeze the CapriSun drink pouch the night before putting it into the lunch box. It will keep the rest of the items cool and will thaw enough to drink at lunch. Kids think the “Icee” is the coolest!

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I believe in buying in bulk and using reuseable containers. I have bought baggies and washed and reused them.

My daughter will be in preK this year so I’m not exactly an expert, but I have bought reusable plastic containers that are divided to put her lunch in so we won’t be buying plastic bags. I am also going to try to pack something from each food group!

Along with buying in bulk, for my three children, I also make puddings and jello and pour them into reusable containers to set. We just grab one to go into the lunch along with everything else! They bring the containers back home and we reuse them.

I try very hard to eliminate waste. If I’ve bought fresh lunchmeat (which my children have helped select) then lunchmeat in sandwiches or just rolled up is their choice. When the lunchmeat is gone, they are free to then select pb&j, cream cheese & jelly, mac&cheese, etc.

Also, I try and keep a loaf of bread in the freezer to avoid extra trips to the store.

We make a lunch list together.We prepare a week in advance.We strive do make and try new things.Heathly and Happy is what I want for my child.Encouraging a nutrious meal and knowing my son eats his lunch makes me feel great as a mom.

I save money by using coupons and buying on sale and looking at ads that are going on that specific day week. I wash and refill water bottles for lunches and use washable plastic containers.

I use coupons/sales/weekly ads. I also wash and reuse water bottles and plastic containers.

One way I have saved money is by shopping ahead, only buying when on sale. My biggest secret is going to the bread outlet (day-old bread) and stocking up on bread there. They have the healthiest varieties for much cheaper than the grocery store & warehouse clubs.

I tend to take my time and cut out many coupons out the sunday paper so that i can see what food items for my child that I can get the best prices for.

I save time on lunches by doing all the non-refrigerated items the night before and knowing ahead of time what I am going to pack. I also tend to buy in bulk a lot of snack food items.

Like most people we pack as much as we can the night before. I also pre-cut the fruit and already have them divided in small containers so we just grab and go. We save money by buying lowfat vanilla yogurt and adding our own granola. I also use the sandwhich holders and sippy cups to save on plastic bags and juice boxes.

I save time by pecutting fruits and veggies. I save money by using coupons

I pack most of the lunch the night before and the next morning I go over what I’ve packed with my son. That way he knows what he’s getting (he’s a picky eater.)

Last year when I had a school-age daughter as well as a preschooler, I packed lunches for each of them at the same time. Then when my middle daughter was in preschool, I would eat lunch with my toddler. When my preschooler got home, I would just grab her lunchbox and she would be set!

Making lunch the night before is my best way to save time and money – plus less stress in the morning!

One way I save money is by re-using ziplock sandwich bags. I also buy the recycled foil and plastic wrap, and that saves on the environment too!

I freeze their juice boxes to keep sandwiches and snacks cool.. pack everything up the nigh before except perishables and then I only have to put the frozen drink and the fridge stuff into the lunch bag..voila all is ready to go! I bag up the snacks and fruit on the weekends so everything is ready to dispense into the lunches in minutes.

Well My 5 year old and her friend will be making snacks that they can both have during the week. Myself and the other mommy will go half and half on whatever we will need and I think this is a great way to have fun in the kitchen with our kids….

To save time, I get the kids involved. They each get to pick out a snack they like, I then buy it in the regular size and break it down into the ziploc snack bags. We also save by taking the water containers and pouring out a little and freezing them so the serve as the ice packs, so by the time lunch rolls around the water is thawed and they have cold water to drink.

My daughter loves lunchables. Instead of buying those, I buy a box of crackers, a block of cheese, and some deli ham. I make my own lunchable for her at a fraction of the cost. Thanks for a fantastic giveaway!!

I normally will package leftovers in individual serving sizes which makes it easy to grab in the morning. Then for my kids lunches I let them pick out the snack that goes in it and normally the fruit. This seems to cut down on wasted food.

I have my daughter assist by gathering items needed to make her lunch. We alternate making the sandwhich. We ofcourse pack things she likes (that we get on sale) and try to pack things the night before.

To save time we plan on working together to get the lunch packed the night before.
To save $ I buy the same items as I normally would just package them in baggies instead of purchasing indiviual sized servings.

I buy groceries on sale and use coupons.

i use small containers for the lunch box so you get a variety of smallthings instead of one big thing and alot of times children dont eat the whole sandwhich so if you put food in containers children will eat these things.and always do it the night before to save time,i know this is not lunch related but put clothes out the night before also to save time.

We buy blocks of mozzarella at Costco and cut into our own cheese sticks… My 2 year old loves cheese!

To save time we pack lunches the night before. We use snack size bags for items that have been bought in bulk.

well, we homeschool, and the kids make their own lunch, but I will say that growing up, as long as we included a fruit and veggie, a bread and a protein, we could put in our bags whatever we wanted. sometimes it was a sandwich, sometimes some crackers and cheese. and there were 7 of us, so my mom had to have some kind of order to it!

To make my daughter feel like a part of the lunch-making process, I ask her to “help” me make her lunch and give her two options to choose from for each item going into her lunch bag; for example, lunchmeat or peanut butter sandwich, juice or water, type of fruit, and type of vegetable. For an extra surprise, she sometimes gets to pick an extra treat like a hersey kiss or a roll of sweetarts.

Making lunches the same day I do grocery shopping helps to cut time during the week. I can pre-pack most things and set them in the refrigerator or snack drawer ready to put in their lunches ahead of time. I also pre-make most of the snacks for the week (like cookies or breads).

I have been using large packs of stuff, then portioning it myself. I have also been trying to use leftovers………………

I had a 9-year-old nephew who lived with us for about a year. He came home everyday with an empty lunch box, so I kept packing more each day, and he kept “eating it.” I called him the “bottomless pit” until the day I discovered he would just throw everything away at the end of his lunch period. This included trash as well as UNOPENED packages of snacks. whole pieces of fruit, yogurt cups, etc. OUCH!!! From that point forward, I told him and my other kids I wanted them to bring EVERYTHING (yes, including the trash) home everyday. This way, I can salvage what they don’t eat as well as better monitor how much they really are eating. This helps me save money and make sure they are eating a well-balanced menu each day.

I purchase my items in bulk packages. I prepare my dry food snack bags for the week on Sunday. That saves me a lot of time because that morning all I have to do is prepare the main item to put with the dry snacks. I use a lot of coupons also to purchase the dry items. I use a lot of ziploc bags and I also use plastic wrapping to keep my food fresh.

My favor way to save time and money is to compare coupons with sales ads an take off running to get all the lost leaders and items that are free after coupon.

When my children went to school, I would make what I could the night before. Now that we homeschool, I try to plan ahead and cook something that everyone likes in the oven. Also, I save money by making peanut butter sandwiches, because the preschoolers love these.

I use small containers and pack frozen veggies, fruit and finger foods. The frozen veggies keep everything else cold and are just a little bit crispy when lunch time arrives. My kids love it, and they are eating their veggies!

We try to pack as much as we can on Sunday night. We look at the lunch calendar for the week and see if either of the boys want to but lunch that week on any day and then we count out how many lunches we need to get ready. I let them help me pick what item to put in to baggies or containers and we have a little storage bin on the shelf that we put them in so it is easy to grab the next day. We also will try to pack up any sandwiches ahead of time that won’t go bad or mushy.

I package up lunches for the next day each evening when I am cleaning up from dinner. Any “left overs” go into small tupperware containers and straight into our lunch boxes, then I add in a few small items to round out the meal–a piece of fresh fruit, a container of yogurt or a granola bar–a bottle of water and a post-it note with a special “i love you” message, and toss the lunch boxes in the fridge so they’re ready to go the next morning.

I make the kids lunches the night before because mornings are like a mad dash to get to the bus stop on time!!!

Buy in bulk & pack the lunch the night before.

i buy a good reusable thermos. lands end makes 1 that holds drinks cold for up to 5 hours! With more than 1 school aged child in school it helps

Great giveaway and great products

I plan ahead by making a list of the daily lunches so that I am not slowed down by what to put together in the mornings.

I pack the lunch in the morning as I do put warm items in my child’s lunch….Hope I win this great package…

My tip would be to help make lunch the night before with your child or better yet have them make their own lunch to ensure that they will eat it the next day. I also, make sure that I have enough snacks in my snack basket so they have a varity to choose from.

We homeschool, so we don’t pack a lunch every day. At home, we usually just eat leftovers, sandwiches, or quesadillas w/ baby carrots or salad. In a lunchbox, we keep it simple – pretty much the same w/ maybe a homemade cookie thrown in & a bottle of water. I have found that they usually don’t eat as much as I think they will, so I’ve scaled back from what I used to do.

My tip would be to make sure that I have enough snacks in my snack basket so the kids have a varity to choose from. Also, stock up on snacks when they are on sale.

My time saving plan involves: Cutting a block of cheese into cubes/slices all at once (rather than each day), Using reusable containers and filling them Sunday nights, Using a refillable water bottle.

My children love cookie crisp cereal because they think it’s dessert. When I pack their lunches, I put in a small plastic container with the cereal in it. No expensive fruit snacks for dessert- my children LOVE it and that box can last weeks!

My children have a nice hot lunch served every day at their school.
The only bad thing is sometimes my son who is 11 doesn’t like what is on the menu for one day so we pack a lunch that day. We can plan ahead because we have the menu for a month.
I make it the night before and usually he likes a pb&j sandwich along with chips and a dessert item. I always put them in a baggie and of course I make sure he remebers to not throw the baggies away because I always wash and dry them for the next time he needs to take a lunch.

include a variety of small items, so your kids have a choice

I pack “snack” lunches. I pack crackers and cut cheese or yogurt, plus extras- maybe fruit and cookies, or pretzels- they eat more and aren’t “bored”.

one new way i have found to save money on packing a lunch for my daughter is to stock-up on the home 360 zip sandwich bags at food lion. they were on sale for 1.19 (quart-size) for 22 bags. use a $1 flip and i pay 19 cents for 22 bags. i prefer the quart size as it will hold a sandwich wrapped in a paper towel then i can put other pre-wrapped snacks –nuts, pretzels, raisins, cookies, etc..–down in there, too.

My son loves pasta so I put some sort of pasta (i.e. ravioli, macaroni etc,,,)in a thermos to keep it warm. Most of the time his lunches are leftovers.

I don’t know how original these tips are, but we put lunches together the night before, use reusable containers, and let my son help select what’s going in his lunch so there’s a greater chance of him eating it!

We buy our snacks in bulk from Sam’s Club or BJ’s. Much cheaper than buying the small boxes of individually wrapped snacks. Instead of using baggies, use re-usable plastic containers. This will save money as well. Try to fins constainers that are square, you can fit more into a lunch box that way!

I have always taken my kids with me food shopping and let them pick out what they wanted in their lunchboxes, as long as it wasn’t all “junk” food. They had to pick a drink (not soda), a healthy main meal, a fruit and then they could pick something in the “junk food” catagory. It was always lots of fun and now that they are in college, and so far away, I love to send them “care packages” with all the things that I know they love!! I also include a note with some memory of when they were little.

On Sunday I take the large bags of chips, chex mix anything that and put them into the snack size bags. Then when it is time to make lunches I just grab one. The cost is lower as you are not paying for the company to purchase. And the size is just right too.

I like to make them the night before for my lunch. I have an infant & would like to win this pkg for my neice or nephew as they are living in poverty & need something special.

I home school so my kids are always home for lunch. I have found that when I plan the menu for the week, it not only saves me time, but also money as we don’t buy a lot of things we don’t need.

Thanks for the opportunity,
Beth

Let the kids help make lunches the night before and the morning runs a lot smoother.

I always buy big bags of snacks then repackage them into smaller serving sizes, this saves a lot of money. I also always pack lunches the night before to save time in the hectic morning.

Starting in Jr Hi, I started giving the kids the equivalent of the cost of lunch every day (plus about $5 allowance) each week. Then it was up to them whether to eat in the cafeteria or bring lunch. Amazing how “uncool” becomes much “cooler” when there is money involved. I don’t think my son ate in the school cafeteria more than a dozen times over the next 6 years.

my grandkids are here a few days a week and we buy in bulk and re package for lunches

I save time by having them do it the night before after dinner. That way they eat it and not bring things home.

I ALWAYS USE COUPONS!!! I’VE FOUND THAT GATHERING THE “GOODIES” AT NIGHT WITH THE KIDS MAKES THEM FEEL A PART AND IT INSURES THEY WILL EAT WHAT THEY PICK THEMSELVES!!!

I try to pack most of the lunch the night before. I use a lot of pre-packaged items – granola bars, cheese sticks, yogurt tubes – that I can just take and throw in the lunch bag. I also buy the already cleaned, large packages of veggies – snap peas, baby carrots – that I can take a few and throw into a snack sized plastic bag. I try to pack a fruit every day as well. I usually buy things that are naturally “packaged” – bananas, Clementine oranges, grapes, plums, small apples. The only thing that’s left to make in the morning is the sandwich!

Love it! What a great gift

We try to fix lunches the night before, since mornings are very hectic at our house.

The best way to save money is by going “old school”. No pre-packaged convenience items, just good old-fashioned real sandwiches, or warm items in a thermos. Chips, crackers or other snacks in a snack size baggie, milk or juice in a thermal drink cup with a straw. All that saves a fortune as opposed to lunchables and small bags of doritos!

My child usually eats the lunch the school provides, but if I do pack her a lunch, i do so the night b/4. One way we save money is by making our own bread in a bread machine. And I think that it’s healthier than the stuff you buy at the store, too.

I like to buy in bulk and pack small. I try to use reusable containers instead of plastic bags where I can.

My little one and I get together after dinner and make up her lunch box. We discuss several different sandwich types, goodies, fruit and drinks. When we both are happy with the list, we pack the box, put in the frig and it is ready for her run out the door the next morning to catch the bus. She thinks this is a fun way to prepare lunch (eats it all!) and it saves me time.

I always make lunches the night before.
Also saving money (not necessarily time) by purchasing the cute plastic sandwich holders – now I don’t have to use a ziplock every single day for the sandwiches.

My tip is to purchase food in bulk and put in snack size baggies or re-usable containers for the lunch box. You will save a lot of money if you do that instead of buying food items in their individual packages.
Also pack the night before. Do not buy juice boxes either. Buy a larger juice and poor into a drink holder.

I make a week’s worth of pb&js and then freeze them. My kids don’t know the difference.
Thanks for the great giveaway!

Instead of buying expensive lunch meat and snacks I like to use foods already around the house like eggs, or real turkey meat for sandwhiches. And brownie or cake mixes to make a sweet treat.

i pack her lunch in the night before. i look for special deals and use coupons.

My son is in 7th grade, It’s hard to get him to drink water at home so insted of buying him juice drinks I send a reuseable water bottle. Saves lots of money and its much better for him.

THE REASON I LIKE TOO PACK MY SONS LUNCH FOR SCHOOL IS BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT THE SCHOOL LUNCH IS VERY BLAND. AND HE LOVES TO HAVE THE OPTION OF WHAT HE LIKES, HE’S IN 5TH GRADE THIS YEAR AND WILL BE ABLE TO USE THE MICROWAVE AND BRING THINGS LIKE HOT POCKETS AND OTHER STUFF LIKE HIS OWN DRINK. PACKING LUNCH IS VERY HELPFUL TO ME AND SAVES US TONS.THANKS! A PROUD LUNCH PACKING MOMMA!

I pack for my four boy’s the night before,And I buy full size snacks and break them down in littel cantiners,or small baggies that can be reused,buying in bulk also saves money,having them help,you get some extra time and memorys to spend with your kids

As a single dad of two little guys I am always looking to save time, money and avoid foods they won’t eat so I let them both pick out the “special lunchbox snacks” at the store for the week. I also make sure to always pack their lunch the night before with some input from them to ensure they eat what is packed! (great giveaway too…by the way!!)

We have two children who take their lunch to school everyday. I make their lunch and compeletly pack the lunch boxes at night and just put the whole thing in the fridge so in the mornings I just have to pull the lunchbox out and put it into their backpacks…makes things soo much easier. Also to save money I buy large bags/boxes of snacks/chips and divide them up into smaller bags. We also make homemade lunchables. It really works out and saves a lot!!

My best advise is find the stuff on sale. Also my son loves baby carrots and grapes but the pre washed packs are so expensive so I buy a bag of ‘normal’ carrots peel them and cut them myself I also buy a bunch of grapes and wash them myself saves money. Make the lunch the night before use a little cool bag that way lunch stays cold till lunch time!

To save time, I pack our lunches the night before, leaving the drinks and fruit cups in the fridge until last. I clip coupons and reuse containers to save money.

my son is in 3rd grade. i let him pick from different catagories each day. this way it gives him some choices but also includes the healthy choices.

I pack the lunches factory style while the kids are eating their breakfast.

The best way I’ve found to save is to shop sales with coupons, limit pre-packaged items and make your own from bulk purchases/make from scratch and freeze the extras for later use, keep it simple with fresh fruit/veggies.

I like to make lunches the night before, saves lots of time in the morning.

We buy our snacks in bulk then have the kids help us seperate them into baggies so they can be easily put into the lunch on each day.

My grandchildren and I pack their lunch the night before.

I make my daughter’s lunch at night to save time in the hectic morning!

We like to use different shaped cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes. It makes them a little more fun to eat so my daughter is willing to eat a sandwich (cheapest lunch out there!)more than once a week. And we can make them the night before to save time.

I’m a first-time lunch maker mom, but here is what I’ve decided for my slow, picky eater: a daily schedule…tuna sandwich on Monday, cold pizza on Tuesday, pb&J on Wednesday, back to tuna on Thursday, and pb&nutella on Friday. The snacks & fruit will change daily according to what we have, but w/ the sandwich already decided, there’s no last-minute mind changing the night before. Hope it works!

We keep a container of approved lunch bits (snack packs of crackers, fruit snacks, etc) in our pantry so the kids can pack their lunches for themselves.

We make our lunches the night before. I make the main ingredient and while I am doing this, the kids go to the chip basket and pick one item and then to the sweet basket to pick one thing. Backpacks are by the backdoor with lunches ready to go. YEAH!

to save money I look for sale items with coupons I can use or I buy in bulk with coupons.
Having a large family I never have to worry about buying too much. lol

I freeze Capri Sun or other juice boxes then slip them into the lunch at 7 a.m. By the time lunch comes around (noon), the lunch is still chilled and the kids have a cold drink.

Angie

I stopped buying juice boxes. I now send her with water. It’s cheaper and better for her!

We do not buy any packaged items, only having fruit or veggies as snacks, and keep things really healthy. The tiny Tupperware containers come in handy for all the little items.

We do lunches together and I ask his opinion on what he wants…sometimes it’s over-the-top and we’ll discuss why it should be something different. I find that if he is more involved, he’ll eat his lunch more often.

I let my daughter pick out what she is taking to school in her lunch the night before. As soon as she picks her items, I place them in the lunchbox and pick the lunchbox in the refrigerator. As I’m fixing breakfast in the morning, I take lunchbox out and place reusable ice bags on top and put the lunchbox in her backpack. I follow the same routine every day.

With 5 kiddos packing lunch can be a daunting task.
We have 2 children with sensory issues and can only tolerate ceratin food textures. I printed out a sheet for each of them listing a main item, a fruit, a snack etc. They pick one from each column every night and we make lunch.
It saves me from early morning meltdwons because someone got the wrong lunch!

I always make lunches the night before because I am not a morning person and anything I can do to get up a little later is worth it. I’ve also found that my girls like salads for lunch which is a great substitute to sandwiches all the time.

My daughter loves the prepackaged lunches so instead I buy deli meat, crackers, and cheese. I slice the meat and cheese and place the three items into a divided container. I put a fruit or vegetable in also. I freeze a water bottle to keep her food cold in the lunchbox. She decides whether to buy milk or juice at lunch or just to drink the water. If she decides to drink the water she gets to keep the change I send in her lunch.

I like to buy the snack size baggies and put grapes and carrots in those. I also give them small throw away containers w/lids that I buy in bulk at Smart n Final and put ranch dressing in there. I do buy crackers and chips in the big bags and then separate them into the snack baggies they day I buy them so when it is time to pack the lunch I just grab the prestuffed baggies. Also, instead of buying the lunchables I make my own.

we pack our lunches at night in reusuable containers to cut down on waste. then in the morning I slip in a personal note (even for dd) to let them know that I am thinking about them during the day.

I taught the kids to pack their own lunches- with guidance. That saves on time! To save money, we buy large bags of snacks instead of individual packages, and bag them up ourselves.

I alternate packing leftovers from dinner. Especially when its one of her favorites and healthy quick foods like yogurt, cheese and crackers, apples, baby carrots, granola bar and sometime popcorn. She packs a refillable bottle of water everyday.

I love to pack something warm, such as a small thermos of soup or ravioli, for my son to have for lunch (especially in the winter months). In the morning, I heat up a can of soup and put half in his thermos. The other half I keep for myself to enjoy for lunch. Thanks!

I have found that having my kids involved in the entire process keeps them excited about making their lunches! We sit down together and clip the coupons we need (and they want) for items they pack in their lunch boxes. Then they go shopping with me and help me to stock the pantry. Then they always know what we have and they can pack their lunches more easily!!

I save time by packing it the night before and I save money by turning leftovers into fun lunches. Left over potroast might turn into a shredded beef quesadilla, for instance.

I use frozen bread to make sandwiches. By the time the kids eat lunch the bread is perfect!

I have a place where I jot down any great lunch or snack ideas as I receive them via the internet or a friends suggestion, etc. I always have this go to list when I feel as though I’m running out of ideas or my daughter is bored of eating the same thing.

we have 5 children so time and cheap is everything to us, for time saving ideas we usually pack lunches the night before that way we can grab and go.Each of my children rotate helping me make lunches, To save money We make our own bread, use our coupons to get cheap or free peanut butter~ we make our own Jam and freeze it, grab it as we need it through the year. we save money on buying a large ham when they are on sale, and cut the ham into slices and freeze them same with turkey, grab it as we need it. We make our own treats (cookies) cinnamon rolls etc- for drinks we use washable bottles and the kids fill it up with juice or water with Kook aid drop in’s! We also do alot of Roll up Kind of sandwiches- A tortilla can be used for hundreds of things!!!!

We do many of the things listed on these great comments, but my kids favorite is to freeze grapes in snack bags for the week! They love them!

I’ve been inspired by so many of these comments! I’m going to involve my boys more in putting their lunches together the night before. I always pack water in a reusable bottle. I’m going to look into getting smaller, reusable containers so as not to use so many baggies! Also, buy more bulk!

With my twin boys, I always try to pack their lunch the night before to save some time in the morning. With everything ready are far less “rushed.” I make one sandwich and split it between the two of them and then send yogurt, fruit, nuts, and maybe a small cookie or homemade goodie.

My tip is always to involve the kids in the process and as a result you know that everything in the lunch is something your kiddo will eat, therefore you don’t have to worry about having her/him wasting food!

I always pack lunch the night before to make sure everything is properly measured and healthy.

My daughter is very involved with her food. So we discuss what her preferences are; what the budget is; what healthy eating means and now that she’s in 4th grade she makes her own lunch. Saves us both lots of time and contributes to happiness for the both of us.

I buy bulk snacks and separate them into my own 100 calorie packs. I keep the packs in the original box so they can easily pick out a snack. Thanks for the opportunity!!

I buy large size snacks and repackage in small plastic containers. Wash and reuse. I pour juice into smaller bottles. Wash and reuse. Every day he came home with unopened juice boxes! But not the bottles. Thanks

first we will plan lunch for the week on sunday and make sure i take my list to the supermarket then i will prepare lunch the night before and store it in the fridge.

Ok, I just found this site & think it is awesome! I also have several tips for lunch so please bear with me. I am a mother of two ages 11 & 17. My 11 yr old is disabled & requires a lot of care therefore saving both time & money is a huge issue in our lives. After many, many “oops! Mom forgot my drink, sandwich etc”, we decided to start packing everything in the lunch boxes the prior evening & just keeping the entire lunchbox refridgerated. This keeps the drinks, veggies/fruit & sanwiches cold. It saves time & prevents the big “oops!” when the kids open it at school. To cut down on money, I purchased each of the kids a reusable drink bottle & individual sized food containers. The food containers are better than bags because they are durable & don’t squash the food. You can purchase both, the reusable drink container & a 6 pk of food containers for $1 at the dollar tree. Plus, pk of food container includes a sandwich container. I buy everything bulk with coupons & match price & each Sunday, I divide everything up into the individual containers for the week for each child. It helps to keep 1 refridgerator drawer specifically for this purpose. Then each night, we just grab out a couple of containers each, pack & refridgerate the entire lunch box. In the mornings, we just “grab n go!” We purchased insulated lunch kits with an outside hot/cold thermos pocket ($4 at walmart). For hot items, we just fill the thermos the night before & in the morning heat & pack. In the end, you only add a few extra little items to your dinner dish washing routine. All in all, I spent only $12 total on the kids lunch kits for the year (or longer)& everything is reusable. Not only do you save time & money, but you also save all the plastic bags & disposable products from the landfill!

I buy all food in bulk or on sale. I always divide bulk items into smaller servings on my own immediately after grocery shopping. I prepare lunches the night before.

My daughter loves fresh fruit in her lunch but it’s expensive and she never eats enough of it before it goes bad. So now I buy it in bulk when it goes on sale and freeze it in little snack size baggies. I bought 3lbs of strawberries this week for the price of 1!. Each Sunday I take out the snack baggies and defrost them. Frozen grapes are a favorite!

I separate larger bags of snacks into small snack bags and place those snack bags into a storage container. There may be several varieties at a time in the storage container so nacho chips one day might be followed by cashews the next and dates yet another day. There can be a huge variety without lots of half stale open bags and boxes.

My husband and I have found that the best way to save time and money packing my son’s lunch is to pack our lunches as well. We avoid the individually wrapped items and buy larger quantities to share. Each evening we make it an extension of the family dinner time and pack our lunches together. Making bread at home and using small plastic containers for fruit, yogurt, crackers with cheese or peanut butter, and homemade cookies instead of disposable food wraps is healthier and better for the environment. Instead of a juice box, my son clips a Sigg (reusable, environmentally-friendly aluminum bottle) bottle of water to his backpack and refills it throughout the day.

To save money, I’ve been stocking up all summer on easy things to put in my son’s lunchbox- applesauce cups, fruit bars, crackers, etc. I have everything in one place in my cabinet, so in the morning all my son has to do is grab one or 2 things to go in the lunchbox with his sandwich.

I save money on packing my child’s healthy lunch by watching blogs to scope out buy one get one free items at local stores and combine them with both internet and newspaper coupons. I save time by talking to my child the night before about our lunch options so I’m sure she’ll actually eat what I pack for her and not waste the food!

My son is in preschool and we pretty much pack his lunch the minute we walk in the door. We discuss what to pack while he is eating his afternoon snack. This has been a great way to talk about nutrition as well as his day and what other kids have brought for lunch.

Definitely make the lunches the night before – otherwise the morning gets off to a rough start!

I pack everything that can be done ahead on Sunday for my two children for the whole week and then just have to grab and drop in the lunchbox except the items that need to be made the night before or in the morning.

my daughter is a second grader and likes to make her lunch in the morning time. I oversee what she packs , but at the same time she is getting to make choices for herself. She takes 1/2 sandwich, fruits, chips, and a snack, and a water bottle. She likes to take flavor water packets. We buy in bulk and use baggies. When I pick her up from school I bring her the other 1/2 of sandwich and a drink.. because she is always hungry after school ( they eat so early). She loves coupon clipping and we hit store sales.. We act like it’s a game.. How much can we save and how much stuff can we get. It is actually really fun and we enjoy it..

My daughter and I clip coupons, stores sales, internet coupons and blogs. She packs her lunch in am with my help, but I still allow her to pick things i know she’ll eat. We buy in bulk and use reusable containers and a water bottle. We treat it like a game and she loves it. How much can we get with little a cash as possible.

We make lunch the night before with help from the kids. We prepare snacks we buy in bulk and make bags from ziploc snack size baggies.

I also pack lunches the night before.

We cook extra for the dinner, and pack the leftover for the kids’ lunch, along with some fruits and mixed nuts.

My tip is to make lunch the night before and have your child help with the work and decisions.

I combine coupons and sales to stock up on lunchbox items. This time of year, there are lots of great deals out there.

Definately pack the night before and hope she likes it. If not, there is an extra $2 for hot lunch emergencies in her back-pack.

I buy the large containers of yogurt and put it in small reusable containers, then freeze them. It thaws by lunch and keeps lunches cold so an icepack is not necessary.

Pre-cut veggies and put in individual baggies so easy to grab and put in lunch box.

Once your kids are old enough have them make their own lunches. I found out that if I put the lunch in their hands it makes my life more easier and no more sandwiches thrown away because I didn’t make it right. This works especially good with teenagers as they can be pretty picky.

We have found that preparing a list of lunch ideas over the weekend and getting the each meal together the night before takes a lot of the time consumption out of packing a lunch.
Together we make meal planning educational by basing each meal off of the food pyramid. My daughter gets to choose 5 fruits, grains, vegetables, etc. she wants with each meal and mix and match to create lunches 1, 2, 3, etc. Usually her meals are mostly composed of finger food sort of snacks but they are nutritious and I like knowing that she is eating organically and healthy.

I’m starting making lunches for my son this fall so I’ll take some tips from these comments! I think to save money I’ll keep the prepackaged snacks to a minimum and stick with whole fruits and snack baggies instead.

When we buy an item at the store that is intended to be used for lunches, I break the item up into smaller containers or bags the same day. I then add it to one of the baskets in my kitchen. My baskets are set up as snack (cookies/crackers)basket and a fruit/veggie basket. Then when it is time to pack lunches everybody knows that they cannot have more than one item from the snack basket. This is also great for a quick snack on the go or packing lunch for a last minute picnic.

I always buy my favorite brands while they’re onsale … i also always pack healthy food in my childs lunch and a little note that says mom loves him !!

I pre-pack fruit, crackers, and mini-cookies in the tiny tupperware containers, and fill my daughter’s thermos the night before.

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I make getting lunches together easier by making a weeks worth of sandwiches on Sunday. Then I freeze them. Each morning all I have to do is pull one out from the freezer. It also helps keep the yogurt or applesauce I put in cold too.

The biggest help w/making my sons lunch is having him help me all the way. Starting w/cutting the coupons all the way to packing it up. He is learning the value of the items as well as I’m assured that he’s making healthy choices. We also have a lot less waste since he is picking the foods that he knows he’ll eat.

I like to save some time and money by preparing a “lunchtime tapas” the night before school. My kids can help me assemble the food–apple slices, finger sandwiches, you name it. I like to include an ice pack to keep the food crisp and cold as well. And because my little guy likes water, I have a kid-sized aluminum bottle to send along with his lunch; I’ve saved money by cutting out sugary box juices this way, and we’re more eco-conscious as a result of the bottle!

This is my daughters first year in school so although I don’t have super awesome secrets, I have really been enjoying reading all of the other comments. When I make my husbands lunch though, I do make it the night before so it is one less thing to do in the morning

I like to buy in bulk. I have 5 kids going to school. The older kids will sometimes make their own lunch and that saves time for me!!! It is true if your kids help make their own lunch they will eat all of it!!!

when I buy a loaf of bread, I make sandwiches out of the whole loaf, then slip them all back into the loaf bag and slip it in the freezer. In the morning, I put one into the tupperware and into the lunchbox!

I think having the perfect containers saves time and money. I found some really great containers for crackers, sandwiches, and yogurt. They are the perfect size and the lids never leak. I don’t have to waste time wrapping up the sandwich in saran wrap or trying to find a sandwich bag. I just throw them in and pop the lid on. It saves money because I can buy the yogurt in bulk, instead of individual servings, and I don’t have to buy sandwich bags anymore.

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Since my son is at a daycare/preschool we have to pack breakfast and lunch. In order to save money we buy his favorite breakfast foods in bulk (Lucky Charms and frozen waffles) so that they are always on hand and ready to go.

We make a grocery list for the week to get everything planned. I stack and combine coupons and stock pile things that will keep. I make lunches the night before so there is no rush for the next morning. We pack fruit and granola, with a second smaller portion in the bottom of her backpack for after school snack.

My son and I pack his lunch. We use plastic container for his sandwich so its easy to resuse. We found ways to reuse everything. The large juice box’s can be cleaned out and carry fruit. and We have even used gallon milk jugs and sangwich holders. I looks like a envelope.
We sometimes the night before make it so it can be grabbed on the way out.

I always pack the night before. When I buy baby carrots, grapes or other fruits and veggies. I prepackage in snack bags and put them in the fridge to grab for snacks or to throw into lunches. Saves both time and money.

My son is will be starting the full-day kindergarten class in a week. I plan to do the same thing I always do when preparing for a trip – having him help me pack the night before. Also, I buy in bulk and put it in smaller containers for each day. I have purchased special containers just for his lunches – one for a sandwich, one for fruit, etc.

we make our own bread for sandwiches. it saves us a bunch of money, and we love the way it tastes!

My son and I usually sit down at the computer on Sunday Morning to look through the papers and see what are on sale. Ofcourse like any other kid, he wants the good stuff. But me being the mom I also want him to pick out the nutritional items too. We make out a the list to do the pricematching at Walmart. Some stores have those double coupon days….look for them….they are nice. But I have noticed if you will buy the bigger boxes or bags of items…just buy some little sandwich baggies and you can put whatever size your child needs for the day…then you can make your purchase last for more than one day. If your child is like mine his eyes are bigger than his stomach actually is…so he ends up taking more than he needs. Hope I have been helpful….my son would love to win this package…his birthday is in September.

My grandchildren prepare their lunch right after they finish supper so in the hectic rush to get to school they can be sure to have a healthy complete lunch.

My tip is to pack the night before. Use gladware to pack can fruits and applesauce instead of buying those expensive serving sizes.

I pack a fruit, snack, sandwich and something to drink. I also find that if you buy the snacks in large quantity you save a lot more than buying the individual sizes.

I save time by having my child pack her lunch and I just check it to make sure she has some healthy stuff too.

To save time, my daughter also helps in packing her lunch. We have learned about serving sizes and try to pack a well-balanced lunch that she will enjoy. I also save a lot with coupons, and love to get snacks at Big Lots.

My husband and I are big on coupons. We have the kids help us pick out which coupons they think they would like to put towards their lunchs. After dinner, they help us make their lunch for the following day. After they go to sleep, my husband and I make sure that they have fruits and veggies in them. Its a good family activity, and the kids don’t complain about what they got, because for the most part- they packed it!

I buy in bulk so like the goldfishes, cookies etc. Once i get home I pull out the ziploc bags and ziploc all the food so its ready to just put into the lunch and there is no fuss or rush. And i do try to pack lunches at night.

This year I am making double lunches and it is important to find the fastest and easiest way especially when my 2 boys have such different tastes. I take the Boys shopping at have them pick out 1 lunchmeat each, fruit and 3 types of snacks and one lunchable each. On Friday, as a treat they can have their lunchable so I get Friday “off”. I pack everything but the sandwich the night before ans as they are eating breakfast I am making their sandwiches!! Yeah – piece of mind and no decisions!

I try to coupon stack as much as possible when it comes to lunchtime goodies. My daughter & I discuss it the night before and pack it together so that way the food won’t go to waste. It’s all the good stuff she likes.

It’s always good to buy in bulk and know what each days lunch will be.

We make what we can the night before and pack it in the lunchbox. What we can’t make like sandwiches that may get soggy if made early,we make sure everything we need is all together in one place, the bread is in the baggies ready to get and everything is stored together in the fridge. That way it is easy to put it all together.

Wash produce ahead of time. Jot down ideas on a post-it note. Saves time when you look in the refrigerator and *think* you have nothing to make.

I use coupons to buy items I know we will use. Some items that we use but don’t get coupons I buy in bulk. The beginning of the week I make ahead the dry snacks in bags for each day. She gives me in put on what she likes. I try to keep it all healthy but sometimes there is a little fun snack that makes her happy.

We buy things that they like and go through fast in bigger quanities and also make them at night so they are ready to go in the morning.

We make salads (like chicken salad, egg white, tuna, etc) at the beginning of the week and pre-portion it in tupperware. It makes it simple then to pop one in a bag with a couple pieces of bread and some fruit! Easy peasy lemon-squeazy!

I make what I can the night before and get up a little earlier than the kiddos to let them sleep in a little later. I like the lunchables kits too.

We usually buy bulk and package everything the night before school. Saves a lot of time in the morning cause its already so hard to get the kids up and going in the morning.

Love reading everyone’s time-saver ideas! Thanks for sharing. My daughter just turned 10 and is of the age where a brown bag is no longer “cool.” So to let her make it cool, she gets to color and decorate her bag every day. Once she’s done all of her morning routine and lets me or dad know she’s done, she’s free to “cool up” her bag. She LOVES this and it makes her move pretty quickly in the morning so she has time to decorate. As for packing lunch, her and I go shopping together each weekend, so that she can choose one fruit, one vegetable, and one ‘Friday’ treat. Then, at the time of unloading groceries, we peel, chop, slice, sort, and package all of the items she will take for lunch (and eat as snacks after school) for the entire week. So the night before, she gets to pick a fruit (portion-sized and individually packed), a vegetable (carrots, celery sticks, cucumber slices, etc), and a “main” course. The main course is typically prepared ahead of time and pre-packaged (tortilla wrap with a little cream cheese and turkey – it keeps for days, or left-overs from the night before), but sometimes she will make herself a PB&J or other type of fresh sandwich. And on Fridays, she gets to take one of her treats in her lunch. Aside from shopping and preparing the food for lunches and snacks, which is only once a week, I don’t spend any time daily on lunches. Easy, breezy beautiful morning!

i would say buying items in bulk and packing the lunches the night before

I never buy any lunch snacks unless they are on sale and I have a coupon. It allows a variety of different foods for your kids, so they don’t get sick of the same thing day after day. I also make the KOOL-AID and put it in my sons thermos..saves me a lot of money on juice boxes!!

I would say for sure make the lunch the night before for time savings in the Morning. Definiltey have them involved so theres no surprises. Mix it up a little. I also use cookie cutters for the sandwhich’s, my 4yr. olds favorite is a Gingerbread man.
I know kids love Ranch and I put that on verses Mayo, helps with Turkey or chicken sandwhichs.

My 6 year old twins love to get their lunches packed all by themselves. I make a big batch of basic gorp- and each day I add a new item to the basic batch so by Friday, they have had a special treat in their lunches. They love to get their lunch bags packed the night before as much as possible. Then in the morning, I add the surprise and pop it into their lunchbags.