Lunch box ideas

Other Parent Suggestions and Favorite Websites

• http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/ 

• http://www.flickr.com/groups/mrbento/pool/

• Havarti Cheese! Mmmmmmm. It makes any sandwich better.

• Apples are great for lunch. No cooler required. Grapes will survive, too. Peanut butter and bananna is good for a high-calorie, high energy sandwich that won't spoil.

• If you've absolutely GOT to have that delicious bologna and havarti cheese sandwich, prepare it the night before. Freeze THE WHOLE SANDWICH in its baggie. Take it out of the freezer right before leaving for work/school, and it will be just about room temp around lunch time. Tomatoes and garlic salt will survive at room temp, and these are the perfect addition to said bologna sandwich

• Use a Rubber Band to Keep A Sliced Apple Fresh:  Push the corer / slicer apparatus down through the apple until it is almost through, but all pieces are basically still together. Then put the whole apple back together again and stick a rubber band around it. This holds it together in your lunch pack and helps prevent browning

• Some of the more interesting lunches I've packed for my son over the years: hummus with pita bread pieces and baby carrots for dipping, grapes and bottled water; "homemade" peanut butter and saltine sandwiches, an apple and milk; cold pizza, baby carrots, ranch for dipping, and juice; chunks of colby-jack cheese (I cut it myself because I refuse to pay for pre-chunked/ crumbled/or even shredded cheese for that matter), club crackers, raisins, celery w/peanut butter, and milk; tuna or egg salad spread on a tortilla and rolled up tight then cut into 4 "spiral" slices, a banana or apple with a small container of peanut butter mixed w/honey for dipping plus bottled water...

• The majority of lunches are usually a chicken, turkey or ham sandwich on a roll, pretzels or baked Lays, a piece of fruit and a small dessert, and drink. One of his favorite desserts is a covered container filled with homemade jello jiggler squares.

• What I've learned over the years: Some foods do not do well even though I pack his lunch in an insulated bag with one of those blue ice things. Homemade instant pudding turns to liquid, ditto for homemade regular jello. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches become too soggy to eat. A good-sized square of waxed paper makes the best sandwich wrapper and it doubles as a placemat. Foil wrapping makes food soggy. If you spread a very thin layer of butter on the bread, condiments like ketchup or mustard will not soak through. If you save empty water bottles you can use them a few times for sending along kool-aid, juice, milk, iced tea, etc. and it's a lot cheaper than juice boxes. The night before, pour about 2 inches of tomorrow's beverage into the bottom of the bottle and freeze, then fill the next morning. The drink will be much colder than if it is kept cool by the lunchbox icepack alone.

• Bake any kind of cake mix in a 9x13 pan. When cake is totally cooled, slice it horizontally in half. You can make this a much easier job if you cut the cake into quarters first. Using canned or homemade frosting, frost half the cake on the CUT SIDE ONLY. Top with the other half, chill for an hour, then cut the cake into lunchbox sized cake squares. Not nearly as messy as a cupcake and a lot yummier than Little Debbies or Hostess