It had only been one week and I already felt like I was in a rut when preparing my daughter’s lunch for school. She became a vegetarian over the summer which made lunches feel even more challenging. So I did what I always do when I am looking for inspiration; I turned to Pinterest. One of my favorite ideas I found was creating a DIY lunch station for kids. I do not know who the originator of this idea is (there were a lot of similar ones), but I thank you!
Of course I can simply instruct my daughter to pack her lunch. However, at seven-years-old I don’t know that she will choose anything other than cheddar crackers and granola bars. So I added clear plastic bins and labeled them to help guide her snack choices. Adding “Pick One”, “Pick Two”, etc to bins helps her make more nutritious decisions. And I don’t know if it is related, but her lunch bag is coming home from school empty. Mom win for sure!
Currently, I am still making her “main course” (couldn’t think of a better word for that haha!). However, since I don’t need to think about the snacks/sides, it gives me more time and mental space to come up with lunch ideas that aren’t just cheese and bread.
We worked with Samsung on a review of their Family Hub FlexZone Refrigerator (you can see that review here). The flex zone is essentially a compartment of my refrigerator where I can choose it to function as a refrigerator or freezer. I chose to use the unit as a refrigerator for the kids. However, I understand not everyone has a FlexZone compartment, but you can use a shelf or a drawer to designate as your kids’ lunch station.
I love the clear bins I used because they are easy to clean and I know exactly what we have and need. In one of the “Pick One” bins I have various cheese choices. The other “Pick One” bin has a choice of a smoothie or almond milk. In the “Pick Two” drawer I have bins with fruits and vegetables. I try to change up the fruits and veggies in the bin based of the season and to give the kids a little more variety to choose from.
I will link all of the products below (affiliate links)! Let me know if you do this and how it is working for you!
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With love,
Shahla
This is a fantastic idea and I imagine that it makes packing lunches way more efficient! Also, what a great way to give your kids independence in their choices!
Thanks so much for stopping by!