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
Oh my word Ami, how did I miss this? TOOOO funny! I have your blog in my reader and I am SO behind on my reader-obviously! Totally looks like I stole your post-glad you know me well enough to know that’s not the case ~ hee hee! Great minds think alike!
What a fabulous way to do lunch! I have twin four year old boys who always fight over someone having one more banana slice or cheese brick on their plates. This way, they can easily pick what they want and not fuss about it! Fantastic!
I have never added a reader to my email, but I think I will have to start one now that I have found some good blogs to follow!! Your blog will be at the top of my list! Thanks again!
Another good food item would be ham or turkey cubes! And I love this idea!
My kids had a neat idea – well – with some mom prompting – I was kinda tired of filling it and putting it away the night before – SO – while I make the brain shakes (see 1+1+1) – just a whole green shake mix like Bralean’s or Amazing Grass Kidz, banana, apple, spinach, yogurt, milk – my girls MAKE the tray. They have a chart with #’s of protiens, # of veggie carbs, fruit carbs, etc. We use an uber big muffin tin tray – they fill it in the am, cover and pop into the fridge.
This is brilliant. And the best part is that if you have a tray with a lid, it makes an instant picnic on days you want to eat outside!!