10 genius tips to make packing your kid's lunch box stress-free

Do you rush around in a panic every morning wondering what to pack for your kid's lunch, and how to pack it?

Well, you can stop stressing right now! We've rounded up 10 great tips to make packing your kid's lunch box a breeze.

Just click Next to start reading them (no. 7 is a real time-saver!).

1. Freeze individual portions of rice.

Fried rice freezes really well. When it's homemade, it becomes a quick, healthy and tasty lunch box option.

Make a big batch, adding a protein of your choice. Next, portion it into clean ziplock bags. Write down the date when you cooked it on the bag, let it cool, then freeze it.

When you need it, just defrost it in the fridge the night before you'll be packing it for your kid's lunch, and heat it up in the morning before placing it in his lunch box.

2. Pack an apple like this!

No one likes an apple gone brown, but unfortunately, that’s what happens when you cut it into pieces. Thing is, most kids like their apples to be cut into slices or chunks that are easy to hold.

Now, with this simple trick, you can pack a sliced apple for your kid’s lunch and ensure it stays crisp and white. Just slice it as you see in the image above, and then hold the slices together with a rubber band!

3. Create a drinkable ice pack.

Freeze cartons of juice the night before and they’ll double as ice packs to keep your kid’s lunch nice and fresh.

Also, by lunch time, the drink would have thawed, providing your child with some cool refreshment!

4. Here’s another ice pack idea…

Freeze a clean, wet sponge in a ziplock bag. In the morning, just toss it in with your kid’s lunch to keep it nice and fresh.

Here's a bonus: It’ll also come in pretty handy when your child needs to mop up any messes he might make!

5. Have your kids pack their own lunches.

If your kids are old enough to do so, then make packing their own lunches a fun task for them to do the night before.

Stick a note to the fridge to remind them of what should go into their lunch box every day. Don't forget to help them with the trickier bits of their lunch box preparation though, like slicing meat or tomatoes for sandwiches.

This way, you’ll save time, your kids will have a fun activity to do every evening, plus they won’t be able to complain about their lunch since they packed it themselves!

6. Invest in a thermos.

If your kid loves warm meals, then consider heating up soup, pasta or rice in the morning and packing it into a thermos.

Just remember to heat it up hotter than you normally would, so it stays warm till lunchtime. Click here for information on heating food properly for your kid's lunch, plus other useful tips.

7. Organise snacks for each day ahead of time.

Buy plastic trays with dividers for a couple of dollars from a store like Daiso. Then, at the beginning of the week, set up snack stations in the fridge with a few variations.

This way, it will be so easy and time-saving to grab a snack and pack it in with your kid’s lunch whenever you need to!

8. Use cookie cutters to make food more interesting.

Use cookie cutters to jazz up fruit, cheese and even sandwiches. Kids love seeing interestingly-shaped food items, so by doing this, you can be sure they will eat everything in their lunch box!

Don't worry, it doesn’t take too long to do this. Actually, you can even ask your child to help you cut their food into different shapes, making it fun for everyone!

9. Choose your child’s lunch box wisely.

A lunch box with divided compartments helps cut down on packaging. It also helps you remember all the components and, as a bonus, it looks really nice too!

10. Give food cute "faces"...

...with stickers! This is a simple and quick way to jazz up food and make it more appealing for your kids to eat.

It’s also a great idea for mums who don’t have time to make up elaborate Bento boxes for their little ones!

Just wrap individual portions of food in cling-film and pop on some happy face stickers and presto! You've got a happy mummy, happy food and a happy kid!

Written by

Nalika Unantenne

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