Back to School Series "Lunches! Packing, Planning, and a book that was an eye opener"

Hi everyone, thanks for being so understanding about taking a week off from the blog and the Back to School series. I really was just sick and really not feeling well the whole week. Sorry, I am almost back to 100%.

So I wanted to talk with you about lunches. So if you follow me on my Instagram devoted to lunches, you will see we are now starting our 2nd week of school. I have to admit, I am in a rut on what to pack. Partially because it is SO HOT in Southern Arizona. I don't want to make my son sick because I packed soup, with crackers, and cheese, and a cookie. I mean who wants that when it's 110 and humid out, yuck. So right now, you are seeing a lot of sandwiches and such. I am not packing any heavy dairy products like yogurt or even milk. I might do cheese and that is it. I have gone and done some chicken breasts with bar b que sauce and such. My son did indicate it was to heavy and he felt icky after lunch. So for now, bear with me as I try to navigate the heat a little.


However, for those of you have actually have 4 seasons, this will help. Planning lunches, I do it for the week. I also STICK to what I plan. I might switch some days around depending on how my day goes, but other than that, I don't sub anything. It helps for me to have a stocked freezer on days where it's like I am sick or my daughter is sick to get lunches together. I might unfreeze some waffle sticks I made or cook some meatballs. Those are really the only days I deviate from the plan. I like to include a day or two of left overs if I can. My son is a Stir Fry fanatic so I love when I get to pack that for him to take. Macaroni and cheese, so much to list.

What I suggest doing is writing out foods your child or children like. I don't have two taking lunches so combining to make life easier, I would look on Pinterest. It might just be doing an overlapping list of Mains, fruits, veggies, and snacks. Maybe they get one fruit, veggie, and or snack they like to have that week, the rest is shared stuff.

If you meal plan as it is, go back through and high light stuff you think would make great for lunches. I always had the hardest time last year because my son really didn't like a lot of fruit and veggies. I got him on nectarines, snap peas, and such this summer. So bonus for me, they are in season and inexpensive! If you are worried about budget, I would say less is more. Start out what you think you might need and if you need more, have a friend grab it at the store when she goes.

I will do a little Mom Confession, I totally buy my cantaloupe and watermelon pre-cut in the produce section. I still have to cut them to smaller squares, but It's so worth my time. I never would cut up a whole melon because I hated the mess. So I spend not even 2.00 and buy the pre-cut stuff. It's worth it to me and some weeks like the next few months, it's money well spent. (I don't get my nails done, or even color my hair at all so for me it's my splurge)

Lunches now a days and I know I am dipping my foot into the Political Pool here. However, I don't think the Lunch program is at all over the past 40 years something to brag about. I like how Michelle Obama is trying to get healthier stuff in there, but at the expense of it all. It's really a waste, kids don't like it and school's are losing MAJOR MONEY.  I don't even like half the stuff I have tasted to be honest. Some schools are fairing well, ours is wonderful at the fresh fruits and veggies selections. The selection is AMAZING and if my son would eat the main course we might be okay. However, he still isn't into it and I am saving money by using what we have. So this is a win win for our family.

Last year I read a book called "Fed up with Lunch" find it here. It was written by Sarah Wu and before the overhaul of the lunch program started, you can read about what was served. Sarah taught at an urban Chicago school and her points are well on target with any child in America. I remember the frozen fruit icees she talks about that were in a triangle, those were considered a fruit back in the day. Juice is still considered a fruit I believe last I checked. The book moved me SO MUCH. I really got motivated to show pictures of my son's lunches on that Instagram account. I might do some cute fun stuff for holidays, but I can't do the Bento route, I don't have time. They are cute, but, my son is growing and he just scarfs it all down anyways. I just wanted what he would eat, cheap, and healthy.

Long story short from the book, I saw a difference last year when I started packing the lunches full time. My son was no longer starving when he came home. He said he felt better the second part of the day and wasn't counting down the hours until he could come home. The year before, he would eat constantly the moment we got home. Sandwiches, fruits, etc, and when I saw him at school he barely touched his food. The protein he wasn't getting and his behavior showed it. I was also so upset, at the money we were wasting, he would eat constantly at home and the lunch money was wasted because he barely ate sometimes.

To sum it up, it took some time to find out what would work for our family. Containers, foods, lunch boxes, drinks, etc. If you have a day where they hated the lunch, it's okay, cross the food off and don't pack it. Experiment on the weekends or maybe dinner. Never with the lunches at school. Summer is a great time to get the list of stuff you want to try and try it. Make a special day of the week like "Try it on Fridays", lunches are new foods to see if we like or don't like.

Summer Projects

I have a list of various Summer Projects I want to get started. My first one is getting a better morning routine. I am horrible at mornings. I want to be better because at my age, the late nights are no longer my friend. I follow this blog called Money Saving Mom. I am a huge huge fan of Crystal's, first, she has quadrupled my Kindle Library in a month with her links to free books. She posts update daily that save me money and offers so much more.

I purchased her book Say Goodbye to Survival Mode and I obviously being a poor time manager, haven't found the time to read it. I have a lot of different blogs that I follow, some of them share their morning routine. As I sit trying to wake up after I run my son to school, I am jealous of their time management. I have to say, I do not know where to start. So, my goal is to have this book read in a week. Maybe, I will have a system down and I will find more down time for me.

I would love to watch a movie start to finish in ONE sitting. Devote more time to my daily devotionals and Bible Reading. Who knows, maybe I could paint my bathroom in an afternoon.

My biggest issue is my and I know you see the memes, I have ADD cleaning. I will literally change the laundry and half way through the process, clean the kitchen and my master bathroom. Hours later, the washer is still half way filled with wet clothes.

So hopefully, this book will jump start a new morning routine

My love of reading... Cookbooks?

So, I have this weird thing, well for me because I don't know other people who do this. I love to read cookbooks. I am super super weird. I am not talking your Betty Crocker (No offense Betty, I do use your recipes). I read cookbooks written by people, who share why they came up with a recipe, what fun story or situation got the creative juices flowing. I also love love love those cookbooks churches or a PTA will do because mom's cook for scheduling around families. While I love Betty Crocker, Better Homes and Garden and so forth. I love a recipe a mom has tried and knows is a crowd pleaser on days when, there is school, homework, PTA meetings, soccer practice, and ballet. That isn't to say I don't like to cook a nice meal other than the major holidays. I just love knowing a recipe is a keeper is quick, easy, and will be a crowd pleaser.

I have a few that I am loving. You have heard me talk about Catherine the founder of Weelicious and she has written 2 books. I love them and use them weekly. I am currently reading Best Lunch Box Ever by Katie Sullivan Morford. 1/3 of the way in and it is a keeper for me. Another blog I follow Momables and the fabulous Laura Fuentes is currently working on her book.

When it comes to packing lunches, meals, anything with food. People have their tastes, some stick with what works other people want to change it up ever so often. I love these books and I have a huge respect for the moms who put work into them. I am trying to change up our whole family and what we eat. I like change and for me, I want to try something new. My husband is a man who loves to stick with what works, I agree to a point. When I am staring down the tortillas for tacos for the 5th time in a month, I need a change.

My kids are who I typically experiment on and lately my luck has been running pretty good. My son has expanded his palette. He has his dad in him and don't mess with the fruits and veggies, if you follow me on Instagram where I post pictures of my lunches, you see the theme. I am hoping that changes but for the most part I think he is stuck in what he likes there and won't change.

So let's hear it. Do you have a favorite cookbook or blog, if so what ones? Do you stick with the norm or change it up with your meal plans? How do you handle your picky eaters?