How to Ease the Stress of School Box Lunches

A blog post by Massel chef Elizabeth Schuler

Okay, I will admit it. I really look forward to the first day of school after a long summer. I am ready, my kid is ready, and we both need more structure in our days. One thing I am not looking forward to though, is packing lunches everyday. At least I know, however, that my son never has to worry about his food allergies when I make his lunch from home. I decided to share some surefire tips to help relieve the daily lunch making grind!

First of all, I suggest investing in an eco-friendly lunchbox. Not to mention, most schools are trying to eliminate the use of unsustainable resources in their lunchrooms. These reusable lunch boxes come in a variety of sizes, colors and shapes that will fit your child’s personality, all while protecting the earth. My son loves not having to stand in a long line for hot lunch before he eats!

Secondly, I recommend creating a plan and packing the night before the school day:

• When preparing rice, pasta or any grain in Massel bouillon, be sure to make extra for the next day’s lunch.
• Grill extra vegetables to put on a sandwich.
• Make an extra baked potato and pack it with nutritious toppings.
• If you are making a salad for dinner, slice some extra vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers or celery for the kids to munch on during lunch. I usually pack my son a small container of hummus or Smoky Tahini Dressing for a dip with the vegetables.
• When making chicken breast, prepare a few extra servings to slice up for sandwiches or Curry Chicken Salad Wraps.

My third tip is to utilize a thermos. Hot, steamy soups are a satisfying and healthy lunch. Fortunately, Massel makes it easy to prep them for your kids:

• When you put your hot food in a cold thermos, it is shocked by the cool metal and immediately goes down in temperature. So first and foremost, preheat the thermos with hot water before you add your hot soup or meal. This way the thermos will be prepped to stay hot longer.
• Heat up leftover soup, yum!
• Heat up some Massel bouillon and pour it over leftover rice and chicken from the night before. You now have a fabulous chicken and rice soup for lunch!
• Leftover casseroles or Creamy Cheesy Pasta are perfect for a thermos lunch.
• Polenta, mashed cauliflower or scalloped potatoes are the perfect treat to discover warm in your thermos.

I hope your lunch making routine feels energized with these tools to pack healthy lunches, happily and conveniently. Having Massel in the pantry is the perfect start!