Today I’m excited to share a kids easy Grab and Go lunch idea.
My girls love to take sack lunches with them to school…randomly…like on pizza day (they reaaaalllly don’t like the school pizza) but I swear every time they decide to pack a lunch it takes them 84 minutes…and we are running late…and they can’t find the chips…or their lunch box…etc etc etc…and it turns out to be a huge hassle.
So this year I decided to try something new.
I kind of love those cheap over-the-door shoe rack/holder things. I have one in the bathroom for lotion and hair products and my son has one in his room for all his random school supplies (pens, stapler, books, post it notes, etc) so I thought…maybe it could work for lunch items as well.
And…it did!
We actually started using this system in September but I didn’t want to post about it until I was sure it was a workable plan…and I’m happy to report that it is, indeed, a workable plan for my family.
Here is what we do:
I look for bulk items on sale (to keep costs down) and then about once every 5-6 weeks (because my kids don’t take home lunch every day) we line all the items up on the counter.
The kids then fill all the pockets in the rack with a drink, a fruit snack, a granola bar, chips, and dessert…which usually takes about 10 minutes.
Then on the morning they decide they want to take a lunch they pull the items out of the pouch and stick them in their lunch box along with anything they choose from the snack drawer in the fridge (apples, oranges, cheese sticks, carrot sticks, baggies of olives, diced ham, etc.) this usually takes about 2-3 minutes.
Its fast and easy! And, the rack hangs on the outside of the laundry room door next to where they hang their coats, backpacks, and lunch boxes…which also helps to speed the process along. I just wish I would have thought of this sooner!
Now I realize this system and these lunch items won’t work for every family…but it works for me. Yes, I realize that we use a lot of prepackaged food in our lunches. However, my kids eat a homemade breakfast every morning (usually fruit and yogurt smoothies) as well as a homemade dinner each night (last night we had chicken, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli and milk) so I don’t obsess over these lunches.
I know the lunches will be eaten, my kids won’t be hungry, and that they will be happy. Plus with watching for sale items these lunches often cost less than school lunch. It’s a “win win” as my daughter would say.
So if your mornings are a mad rush with kids going in a million different directions and you need a simple lunch solution give this kids easy grab and go lunch idea a try…it’s been a life saver at our house!
***NOTE: If you are looking for an over the door shoe rack you can find one similar to mine HERE on Amazon for less than $10. (affiliate link)
