Lunch for Kids - 2nd day of school

Tomorrow's the second day of school for the girls. They spent Friday getting to know classmates and teachers, finding classrooms and lockers, filling out forms, and learning the ropes. Monday morning, it's nose to the grindstone.

Proper nutrition is important to me, which is why I opt to pack my kids' lunches. I try to get lots of colors, textures, and shapes into my kids' lunches. They will also almost always have a sweet or treat in their lunches. Most of the time, they'll be homemade.

Here's Picky Eater's lunch:

Bottom layer: Salad made with green leaf lettuce, sweet peppers, cucumber "flowers" and carrot shreds. A sliced kiwi on the side.

Top Layer: Pizza Sticks and a Chocolate Chip Cookie. On the side: a small container of creamy dressing and a bottle filled with orange juice.

Bayberry's Lunch:

Clockwise from top right: Sliced kiwi; deviled eggs; chocolate chip cookie (cut in half to fit) and pizza sticks; salad just like her sister's, except Bayberry has tomatoes, too. On the side: a container of French dressing and a bottle of orange juice.

On Facebook!

By popular demand, I've created a Facebook page for 360 Lunch Boxes. Spread the word, and let's get connected! My Facebook page is here and there's a Like Box on the left side of this page. Thanks for your support! See you tomorrow with more yummy lunches!

Lunch for Kids -- First Day of School

This is it...First Day of School Eve! It was so much fun to pack the girls' lunches today. I kept it really simple, focusing on getting a wide variety of colors, textures, and shapes in their boxes. I'm missing blue/purple. Neither of them likes blueberries. Can you imagine? A kid that doesn't like blueberries! So I need to get creative in getting some blue in them. I plan to do things with pureed blueberries eventually, but I'd like some other blue foods for them to munch. Any suggestions?

Picky Eater is my second grader. She's so named for obvious reasons. However, everything in her bento box is tried and true. She has  a side of ranch salad dressing for dipping, a stainless steel bottle of juice, and a cloth napkin.

In her top compartment, Picky Eater as carrots -- some whole baby carrots and some carrot slices; grapes; and flower-shaped kebabs with American cheese and Canadian bacon.

In her bottom compartment, Picky Eater has steamed broccoli, more carrot shapes, sweet bell peppers (both whole and rings), a sweet gherkin, a small finger sandwich (egg salad on pink bread), and a mini cupcake (Apple-Carrot with Honey Butter Frosting).

Bayberry is my sixth grader. She has braces, which presents a variety of difficulties, but we get around them. Her carrots, for example, are very thinly sliced, which allows her to still eat them with braces. Also, her broccoli is steamed so it won't damage her wires. On the side, Bayberry has a bottle of juice and a cloth napkin.

Bayberry has four compartments. Starting upper right and moving clockwise: grapes and tiny carrot flowers; a sweet gherkin and a mini bell pepper filled with ranch salad dressing; a small egg salad sandwich and a mini cupcake; steamed broccoli, sweet bell peppers (some rings and a whole one) and Canadian bacon & American cheese kebabs.

Tomorrow's the Big Day!

Well everybody, first, I'd like to thank you for following my journey before it's really even begun! I appreciate the vote of confidence. You can expect lots of variety around here. Lots of vegetarian options. Lots of creativity. And lots of learning as I go. I've never packed a Bento lunch before. I have plenty of ideas swirling around my head and I can't wait to begin. Later tonight, I'll be sharing with you my kids' first school lunches, and I'll do so each day of the school year. See you soon!

Dad's Lunch for Wednesday, August 4th

Tuna Salad on a low-carb tortilla; 2 Babybel Gouda cheese rounds; 2 hard-boiled eggs. Joint Juice and Crystal Light round out this Atkins-Friendly Easy LunchBoxes lunch. In the pink container: sea salt for his eggs.

A liter of Crystal Light, a can of Joint Juice, this lunch container AND an ice pack fit inside the standard lunch cooler from Easy Lunchboxes, by the way.

Lunch for Dad

My husband can't come home for lunch for several months, so he's taking a packed lunch from home. The other option is eating at the cafe, where his choices are sandwich on white bread or pizza. He's following a low-carb diet, so those options are no good -- not to mention they're costly and not very tasty.

Bacon, Lettuce, and Cheese with Ranch Dressing on a Low-Carb Tortilla; Mesquite-Smoked Almonds, and Celery with Cream Cheese & green Onions. A can of Joint Juice and a reusable bottle full of Splenda-sweetened iced tea to drink.

Preparing to Pack Lunches: A Pre-Made Plan

This week, school starts. In order to prepare, I'm going to spend a few days making extra supplies. Here's what I'm making:

• Apple-Carrot Cupcakes with Honey-Butter Frosting
• Fairy Wands
• Mini Meatloaf Muffins
• Mini Taco Muffins
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Biscuits
• Pizza Shells
• English Muffins

Making things ahead of time and freezing them in individual portions helps speed up the daily lunch making process. Look for these recipes throughout the week.

Are you planning to pack lunch for your kids this year? When does school start in your area?