5 School Lunch Hacks to Make Your Weekdays Easier

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Stonyfield® Organic YoKids®.

Weeknights are pretty hectic in our household. There’s a lot to do from the time I pick my kids up from school until the time they go to sleep. Still, we find time to pack school lunches the night before, so we’re not racing around or grabbing something processed and unhealthy in the morning. Between picky eaters and busy lifestyles, packing lunches can be a pain. I use a few tricks to make this process smoother, starting with having my kids lend a hand. Check out these school lunch hacks to make your busy weekdays and nights a little easier.

1. Freeze liquids

Freeze drinks the night before so they can double as ice packs (and will still be cold by lunchtime).

2. Use a thermos

Preheat hot foods in the morning and put them into a thermos to go. My kids love having the option of a warm meal. (Don’t forget utensils!)

3. Mix it up with bento boxes

Bento boxes are all the rage right now, so take advantage of the trend and pack fresh options in these cute containers. Kids especially love the variety. Oddly, these boxes allow children to think outside the box in terms of what constitutes a school lunch.

4. Add a surprise

I don’t know any kid that doesn’t like to find a note of encouragement, stickers randomly placed on wrapped sandwiches, or a special treat in her lunchbox.

5. Let the kids pack their own snacks

Create stations so kids can choose what to pack in their own lunch boxes. For example, one station might have a variety of fresh fruits, another might have dry snacks, and another might have different flavors of Stonyfield® Organic YoKids® yogurts to choose from. Just be sure to limit how many items from each station they can take.

I’m a fan of Stonyfield® Organic YoKids® yogurts because they’re portable (they come in cups, pouches, tubes, smoothies), low in fat, and don’t have any high fructose corn syrup in them. Moms agree: Stonyfield® Organic YoKids® is the #1 organic kids’ yogurt brand, and now it’s made with between 25% – 40% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt.

You may be asking, “What difference does it really make if my child’s yogurt is organic?” This classification means your kid won’t be ingesting toxic persistent pesticides, artificial hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs.

Light bulb moment?! When a company calls their product “natural,” it really doesn’t mean much. When you see the USDA Organic label, however, the food it’s attached to was made by farmers who refuse to plant GMO crops or feed it to their animals either.

When I find out a company is using its power for good, I’m more likely to buy from it.

Stonyfield is a certified B Corp, meaning they meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. These days, we have to vote with our dollars, so this distinction matters to me.

Take the stress out of packing school lunches by getting the kids involved and using what you already have. Don’t be afraid to go with hot or cold foods, and mix it up from time to time!

What are your tried and true school lunch hacks?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Stonyfield® Organic YoKids®.