Lunchbox Inspiration and a Panini Grill Giveaway CLOSED

The days of easy PB & J sandwiches are over.  For most of us moms, we are about a month back into the new school year and the Super Mom lunchbox meal ideas are starting to dwindle.  Usually you can easily tell the exact point in the school year when this happens.  When your child’s statements go from “Mom, I love your lunches.” to “Mom, how come you don’t send ________ anymore?” or “Mom, how come you keep sending _______?”  you know the lunchbox rut has happened to you.

One of the ways I keep my kids lunchbox meals something the kids look forward to is by including my kids in the planning.  On Thursday evenings I sit down with my 3 kids, ages 12, 10 and 9, to discuss the next week lunchbox meals.  I specifically ask my kids what, if anything specific, they would like to see in their lunchbox that week.  I give them a list of recipe ideas, using some of their favorite ingredients, that we maybe haven’t tried before and that I think they would enjoy.   From there we decide on a menu for the week.  On Sunday’s I do the majority of my grocery shopping for the week; there’s nothing that I dislike more than having to run to the grocery store everyday.  Who has time for that?  It’s not always easy to decide with that many helping to make the decisions, one who is a picky eater to boot, but I do this to teach them the importance of planning ahead and to show them how much work goes into, what seems like, the smallest details.  I think they actually enjoy being part of the process; knowing that they helped create their lunches helps them enjoy their lunches even more the next week.

Without a designated lunch room my kids school does not supply microwave for heated foods, making my lunchtime plan limited to cold meals.  Often the kids come home and tell me how many of their friends come with prepackaged foods; although more time consuming, I try to send fresh unprocessed foods whenever possible.  Obviously doing this is healthier but the main reason is because my picky eater also has a sensitive digestive system and should be fed foods that are naturally processed and high in fiber.  To help me create these fresh recipes I often use my Hamilton-Beach Panini Grill.  The Hamilton-Beach Panini Grill allows me to quickly grill the meats for some of my kids favorite lunchbox recipes, such as grilled chicken caesar pita pockets or grilled steak and rice wraps.  With the removable non-stick grill plates, cleanup is a breeze.

If you’re worried about coming up with new recipes to keep your kids lunchbox something they are eager to open everyday, you’ll be happy to hear about Dempster’s new Lunchbox Inspiration site.  Dempster’s makes it easy for you with new lunchbox recipes and tips brought to you by real moms of school-aged kiddo’s and the Dempster’s Nutrition team.  Join the conversation on the Dempster’s Facebook page and sign up for the weekly newsletter to have these lunchbox inspiration recipes and tips delivered right to your email inbox and you’ll never be stuck in that lunchbox rut again.