The Best School Lunch Ever

Posted August 21, 2015 by Prairie Wife - 1 comment

It’s time to come to terms with it moms….summer is almost over. Like you I’m hanging on…kicking and screaming to these last few days of sleeping in, lazing around in jammies, and being able to spend days at a time without driving in to town. The Facebook posts from East of the Mississippi have been popping up with a sad regularity. They are all similar…chipper children dressed in there best, smiling brightly for their mom (we all know it’s mom that takes the pictures), a backpack over half the size of their body slung over their shoulders, and a bright lunch box in their hand. My time to post our back to school pics is looming closer. This year I have three Cowkids that will be leaving me without a glance as they run into their classroom.

I admit to being a Pinterest junkie, and earlier this Spring it came to my attention that I was severely lacking in the school lunch department. I felt guilty, and like I was a bit of a crap mom for my steady rotation of Nutella (no Peanut Butter allowed) and Jelly sandwiches, homemade lunchables (crackers, cheese, and pepperoni in a zip lock bag), and horror of horrors…school lunch! I blamed it on the birth of LittleMissH and vowed that the following school year (the one that starts in two weeks) I too would join the ranks of “that mom”.

You know…the one who makes lunches with the organic fruit skewers, cutely cut sandwiches made with hummus and meat from the local butcher.

Lunches with homemade from scratch vegan cheese ravioli and every food group colorfully and prominently featured.

I thought that this summer would be the perfect place to start. I could easily create fabulous lunch concoctions for the Cowkids and then have them tell me what ones were their favorites. I figured I would be a well oiled, fancy lunch making mom machine by the time fall rolled around.

Cue the first week of summer.

Me: Alright guys what do you want for lunch today? How about a hummus and ham wrap with sweet peppers thinly cut and carefully laid inside?!

Cowkids: Peanut butter and jelly! (this was shouted by all 4 Cowkids)

Me: OK but how about I make you a fruit salad with berries and oranges to go with it?

Cowkids: Can we just have an apple?

Me: Fine…lets make some granola bars to have for a treat. I have dried cherries and hmmm I think some dark chocolate chips…

Cowkids: Can we just have fruit snacks?

This is how the conversation went every day for two weeks…and finally do you know what I realized? I was feeling like a bad mom and trying to bust my butt making Pinterest worthy lunches for absolutely no reason. My kids had just proven over and over that all they really wanted was Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, apples, and fruit snacks. Throw in some snap peas and carrots with hummus and they were in heaven!

Frankly, the meal in itself isn’t really that bad nutritionally. I use whole wheat bread for the sandwiches and they drink water or milk not juice. I know that using Nutella instead of Peanut Butter (or Almond Butter) takes away from some of the healthiness but, rules are rules and no peanuts are allowed at our school.

So here is my recipe for the creating The Best School Lunch Ever
Servings: 1 child Time: 2 seconds if done the night before 10 minutes if done in the morning

1 or 2 Nutella and Raspberry Jelly sandwiches made with whole wheat bread (you may only need half a sandwich depending on your child’s age)

An apple or banana

Bag of baby carrots and snap peas

Hummus or Ranch dressing in a small container

Fruit Snacks

I personally guarantee that not only will you have the happiest kid in school but, you won’t even care when you open up their lunch box at the end of the day and see that they didn’t even eat half of it. See, it’s a win win!

Note: Please don’t be offended if you do make fabulous lunches for your child…some of us got it and some of us don’t (I clearly don’t). I hear some people out there fold clothes too…I don’t judge…

What does your kid think is the best lunch ever?

Copyright: auremar / 123RF Stock Photo
Copyright: mickeymousehouse64 / 123RF Stock Photo

Categories: This and That

Tags: , humor, kids recipe, lunch recipe, motherhood, parenting humor, quick recipe, recipes, sandwich recipe, school, school lunch, school lunch ideas