Because breakfast is a bit of a production around here, lunch has been an issue for me. I don't want more dirty dishes. I don't want to spend more time at the stove. It's hard to transition from math problems and Pollyanna and shaving cream art to kitchen duty.
I've tried this. I've tried that. This and that didn't work. I needed something quick, and I wanted something healthy.
Insert The Lunch Tray. Hooray!
The idea:
Fill a tray.
Serve the tray.
Put the tray in the fridge for the next day.
Pull the tray out of the fridge the next day.
Refill any empty compartments.
Serve the tray.
Repeat.
What's going in the tray?
The boys helped me make a list of what they like. My only criteria was that I could cut/chop/dump it on the fly, and that it would keep in the tray for a few days.
- monterey jack cheese cubes
- mozzarella cheese cubes
- green olives
- black olives
- carrot sticks
- celery sticks
- cucumber slices
- sugar snap peas
- grapes
- berries
- apple slices
- almonds
- peanuts
- cashews
- sunflower seeds
- whole wheat crackers
Some days I will put a little container in the middle with a dip or spread ~ egg salad, peanut butter, hummus, or even Nutella.
Think of all the possibilities!
I love it!
1. It's easy to assemble.
2. It's simple to clean up.
3. No plastic baggies are involved.
4. The leftovers are the next day's lunch!
Maybe lunch isn't broken at your house, but it was at mine. Now it's fixed.
Are you curious about how other homeschoolers feed their families?
Check out Feeding the Homeschool Family
I just wanted to thank you for this idea. My kids are loving their lunch tray everyday. I was having trouble getting them to choose healthy options for lunch and snacks, but now they are happily eating a tray full of fruits and veggies daily. Our homeschool day goes much more smoothly now. Thanks again!
My sister first introduced me to this wonderful idea and called it a “monkey platter.” We seldom ever had any leftovers so it was more of an occasional lunch but I love the idea and the addition of making it a rotational thing each day.