School Lunches

 For the last few years, we’ve been buying school lunch, but the price kept rising ($8 per lunch x 4 kids, we were spending $500-$600 per month on school lunch!)  Plus, the quality of offerings had really gone downhill. (Most irritating were the days we paid $8 per lunch for “cereal bar.” Of course, it was their favorite day!) 

A few months ago, we started packing lunch but we’re in a terrible rut.  In an effort to save even more money, we’re also working on packing adult lunches since the cost of going out to eat every day for lunch was REALLY adding up. 

 

The team at More Than Paper set off to turn it around with school lunches and adult lunches and solve the problem. Let’s start with the kids – we know packing a healthy and appealing lunch feels like an incredibly daunting task but with these tips, maybe we all can provide our kids with nutritious meals that they will enjoy! (Though our money is on that they will always love the cereal bar.) 

 

SCHOOL LUNCH 

Creator: VeselovaElena | Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

• Bento Box Fun. Bento boxes are a fun and versatile way to pack a variety of foods in one container. You can include a mix of fruits, veggies, proteins, and grains to ensure your child gets a well-rounded meal. Think of colorful options like cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, cheese cubes, whole grain crackers, and berries. 

 

• Wrap It Up. Wrap sandwiches are a great alternative to traditional bread sandwiches and can be filled with a variety of ingredients. Use whole grain, tomato, or spinach wraps and fill them with lean proteins like turkey or grilled chicken, along with lettuce, tomato, and a spread like hummus or avocado. 

 

• DIY Lunchables. The store-bought Launchable are full of sodium and sugar and you can create your own version of the popular by assembling whole grain crackers, cheese slices, lean deli meats, and some fruit or veggie sticks. Not much different than a Bento Box here, but kids really like whatever dessert option is packed. 

 

• Protein-Packed Salads. Salads don't have to be boring! Create protein-packed salads by adding grilled chicken strips, hard-boiled eggs, chickpeas, or tofu to a mix of greens and veggies. Include a tasty dressing in a separate container for your child to drizzle on top. 

 

• Leftover Remix. If they liked last night’s dinner, won’t they like it for lunch?  If they are temperature sensitive, find out if your school cafeteria has a microwave and if it feasible for your children to use it. If this is something your children might enjoy regularly, consider making extra for lunch when you make dinner. This sounds like the simplest of all the options to us! 

 

When it comes to what to put all of these good ideas into to transport lunch to school, More Than Paper has a variety of lunch bag options.  This one here is perfect for your daughter who’s a bit older and has outgrown one with a lot of designs. 

 

The sturdy canvas bag is insulated and has a zippered closure, so your lunch doesn’t fall out.  Conveniently, the bag has an outside pocket that you can store a phone or small wallet in.  The bag is personalized with embroidery using initial(s), monogram, or name. You select the font and thread colors to be used – there are endless combinations to make it yours. 

 

We’ve carried these lunch sacks for years and they are also a great option for kids. 

 

 

ADULT LUNCH 

Photo used from Denise via: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/taco-salad-recipe/

Going out to lunch every day at work also adds up in a big way, so it’s cost effective to pack your lunch at the office a few days a week.  My husband and I aren’t interested in Bento boxes or Lunchables, so we went on a search for adult lunch options, too. Here’s what we found for some ideas: 

 

• Grain bowl: Combine quinoa, brown rice, or farro with a variety of toppings such as roasted vegetables, grilled chicken or tofu, avocado slices, and a drizzle of tahini or vinaigrette.

 

• Salad Niçoise:  Try a French-inspired salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, boiled potatoes, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and seared tuna or canned tuna in olive oil, drizzled with vinaigrette.

 

• Stuffed Peppers: Fill halved bell peppers with a mixture of cooked quinoa or rice, ground turkey or beef, black beans, corn, salsa, and cheese. Bake until the peppers are soft and the filling is heated through. 

 

• Mediterranean Platter:  Assemble hummus, tabbouleh, falafel, pita bread, olives, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese for a refreshing and satisfying lunch with a variety of flavors.

 

• Taco Salad: Build a taco salad with a base of mixed greens or shredded lettuce topped with seasoned ground beef or turkey, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, avocado slices, shredded cheese, and a dollop of Greek yogurt or salsa for a Tex-Mex twist.

 

• Asian Noodle Bowl: Prepare an Asian noodle bowl with cooked soba or rice noodles, stir-fried vegetables, tofu or shrimp, and a savory soy-ginger sauce garnished with chopped scallions, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of lime for a satisfying and flavorful meal.

 

• Caprese Sandwich:  Enjoy a classic Caprese sandwich with sliced fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, basil leaves, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze or pesto on crusty ciabatta bread for a simple yet delicious lunch option.  Even better? We recommend putting this sandwich in the panini press (or grill) to make the version hot and melty. 

 

When it comes time to the lunch bag itself, we love this lunch sack available at More Than Paper made by CB Station. 

 

Made of waxed canvas, this has a rustic and masculine appearance so it’s perfect for your husband or high school son.  The lunch sack has plenty of space for food, snacks, or a soda can and can be rolled up for easy transportation when finished. (Here’s to hoping your son doesn’t lose it!)  

 

The sack features a water-resistant, reinforced bottom, a buckle top closure, and is USDA approved insulation for hot and cold temperatures.  Choose from personalization options such as single initials, a line of text, two initials, or a monogram, along with selecting the typestyle and thread color for the personalization to make it yours. 

 

We hope that your lunch time gets a little less expensive, more creative, and more exciting and that your days of paying $8 for cereal bar are gone with these tips and inspiration.  Share your comments about what successes (and failures) you have had packing school lunch here, or on our Facebook page! 

 

Happy Lunching!  

Tips for Going Back to School in 2020

 It’s that time of year again! The summer is nearly behind us, and school aged children are getting ready to go back to school. (If you are in the south, there’s a good chance your schools already have!)  But like much of 2020, things look different than they have in years past.  Millions of children and their families are shifting gears and attending school virtually due to the pandemic.  Those that are attending in person face unforeseen challenges and a new way of learning.  We’re here today to explore tips and tricks to make the transition easier, in whichever way your school is going back.

Tips for Virtual School in 2020

1.      Set up a workspace/desk.  Ensure a consistent workspace and positive learning environment by setting up a workspace that your little one can use every single day for virtual school. You will want to make sure that the desk is sturdy, you have a comfortable chair, it is well-lit, and it is free from noises and distractions. (And far from the X-Box!) We recommend letting your kids decorate it so they feel ownership over their environment and have them take part in making it a special, happy place.

2.      Shop for supplies.  Just as you would for in-person school shopping, take your little one shopping or shop online together for necessary school supplies including binders, loose leaf paper, notebooks, a calculator, colored pencils, highlighters, pencils, pens, erasers & more.  Your school will likely provide a list!  We also think letting your children pick out a fun pencil box is an easy way to get the kids excited about supply shopping, without breaking the bank.  Try our embroidered cosmetic pouches, which double as a pencil/pen case! 

3.      Boost your internet.  No one likes a frozen screen with an ugly face captured during a zoom call. Consider calling your internet provider to upgrade your internet service or looking into a boosting device for your internet. These devices don’t tend to cost an arm and a leg and allow you to feel confident your internet connection isn’t going to drop spontaneously when you need it most.

4.      Dress for success.  Have your children wear their uniforms to school or get dressed as if they were going to school.  Dressing the part helps them psychologically prepare for the day and gets them into the mindset of interacting with people, just as they would at school. Avoid jammies and sweats!

5.      Keep routine and structure. Your school may have a set time that requires you to log in, or it might be more flexible.  If it’s flexible, we recommend setting a start time and end time daily and staying consistent whenever possible. This will help your children feel the routine that school normally provides.

6.      Pack a lunch.  For working parents especially, it’s difficult to stop your day in the middle and make lunch.  A cute idea would be to pack your child’s lunch for them, just as you would if they were headed off to school.  For older children, they can do this themselves!  Consider packing it in a cute new lunch bag for added excitement.  Hey, it’s the little things!  Isn’t it? 

 

Tips for In-Person Learning in 2020

1.      Keep health and safety top of mind.   Paramount to in-person learning and its success are healthy children and classrooms.  Continue to teach your kids to wash hands and to use sanitizer. Avoid touching, hugging, and even little things like sharing pencils/erasers.  Safety is #1.

2.      Wear a mask.  Whether it’s mandatory or not, we’re in the camp of wearing a mask! There are plenty of “cute” masks out there and child-sized ones available. Unfortunately, it does seem you have to try several options until you have found one that is sustainable for hours on end. But it’s worth it once you do. We’ve found that the disposable surgical masks are great for kids. They are light and breathable unlike some hand-made options which although they are cute, can be very stuffy and hot. Also, we suggest practicing wearing a mask for long periods of time before you go back to school. You may want to take a Saturday/Sunday before school starts and have them wear it for the day.  You want their teachers focused on their education, not reminding them to keep their masks on.

3.      Pack a lunch & snacks!  Many schools are doing away with the cafeteria to avoid large crowds of students, so packing a lunch is mandatory.  We think packing a lunch is more fun with cute water bottles, bags, and accessories.  Try some of these ideas to spruce things up! 

In whatever way you and your kids are going back to school this year, we think it also helps to splurge on some items to dress your desk.  Whether at home or at school, a stylish new personalized clipboard, or preppy personalized mousepad, will help get the job done but also lift spirits.  Little luxuries like these can make a big difference in your mood and your approach to getting work done.   We all need whatever we can get right now! So, choose things that bring you joy.   

We wish you luck as this unprecedented school year begins! Share your ideas, tips and tricks with us on our Facebook page.  We’d love to hear from you.

 

School Lunches

A new school year brings such promise, such excitement!  As a parent, going back to school means getting organized for the year ahead and gathering some ideas to make life easier during the school year.  This week we are tackling school lunches.  For a parent of a picky eater or someone who’s tired of throwing away a full lunch box at the end of the school day, we’ve got some ideas on how to make school lunches more fun. Our goal is a healthy lunch that actually gets eaten!

What’s that they say in marketing?  Packaging is everything!   So start with a really cool personalized lunch sack or lunch box.   We like these ones by Pen at Hand.  They are insulated and leak proof with a zipper closure and zippered front pocket and rear mesh pocket for storage.  They have a reinforced adjustable shoulder strap and are available in red, black or blue.  You choose your character and sketch that matches your child and their interest.  See them all here. 

If you prefer old school style lunch boxes, More Than Paper has a bunch to choose from!   

Inside the lunch box, get creative with the food.  See this via Pinterest, it's an adorable ham and cheese sandwich on white bread, just cut out the “face” of the lamb and add some pine nuts for eyes.  Cut the ham in long strips and assemble in curly cues and cut veggies in various shapes of hearts and flowers and you have an adorable “farm” for lunch. 

Image via Pinmarket

Try this adorable bear sandwich by Susan Yeun that sure to bring a smile to your son or daughter's face when they open up the lunch box.

Image by Susan Yeun

We also like this slightly less healthy option of mac and cheese and hotdogs.  Cut the hotdogs into little octopuses from Green Mommy Diapers.

Image via Green Mommy Diapers

It’s also important to keep your little one hydrated so be sure to pack some water, which is much better than a juice box (says your child’s dentist!)  A personalized water bottle may encourage water drinking so here are some to try.  Little girls who love horses will adore this stainless steel lined water bottle that holds 20 ounces of a cold beverage.   It also has a sports lid and screw-off top! 

We also love this personalized water bottle for a musically-inclined boy!  

We just love the idea of writing notes to your child in their lunch box to let them know you are thinking of them.  Even if your son or daughter can’t read, you can still add a note! Draw an eye, a heart, and the letter “u” for “I love you!”  We love this imprintable letterhead stationery, perfect for school!  

We also found these awesome free lunch box printables on Skip to My Lou.  Just download, print and add into your child’s lunch box. 

Free printables available on Skip to My Lou 

We hope you have some ideas on how to make school lunches more fun this year!  If we have missed any good ones, be sure to leave us a comment and let us know your ideas!  And don’t forget to share this with your friends on Facebook!