10 Essentials for Easy Packed Lunches
Make a chore you do every day a little easier by getting these essentials for easy packed lunches.Â
Any chore that has to be done repeatedly becomes something dreaded. Laundry, vacuuming, dusting, grocery shopping, just to name a few. If you pack lunch for yourself or your kids every day, you probably dread that, too.
So what can you do to make a mundane chore more tolerable?
Think of ways to simplify it, or make it fun.
In an effort to streamline our mornings, I’ve collected some essentials for easy packed lunches. These items help to keep lunch items organized right where we need them. Having the right equipment on hand saves us precious time and greatly reduces morning stress!
10 Essentials for Easy Packed Lunches
The perfect lunch box can mean different things to different people. Think about the types of foods you like to take for lunch. If you typically pack sandwiches, a simple flat lunch box will work. If you like soups, you’ll need a lunchbox that securely holds a thermos. For salad and leftover lovers, you’ll want an insulated lunchbox. You might prefer a lunchbox with a shoulder strap if you’ll also be carrying a backpack, briefcase, or purse. If you’re packing lunch for a young child consider a bento box style.
Divided containers make packing lunches simple. We also use ours for storing leftovers, and they’re great for storing craft items, too!
Keep some smaller lidded containers available for packing fruit, nuts, or other small treats and side dishes. They work great for storing dips, too.
A Great Thermos
Nothing says, “I love you” like a hot packed lunch, and they won’t even need a trip to the microwave! Not only will a thermos keep your soup warm, but you can pack other hot items inside like hot dogs, chicken nuggets, spaghetti, ramen, or cooked veggies.
Reusable Cold Packs
Keep your lunches cold, healthy, and fresh with a cold pack. Great for packing in coolers and treating boo boos, too.
Refrigerator Organizers
Use clear storage bins in your refrigerator to hold juice boxes, cheese sticks, fruit, yogurt, and puddings. They make it so much easier to grab things quickly for packing a lunch in the mornings and for kids to grab snacks in the afternoons. They come in several sizes and can be used in your pantry, too!
Reusable or Disposable Sauce Cups with Lids
No more ketchup spills! These tiny disposable cups are perfect for dipping sauces and salad dressings.
Silicone Baking Cups
Silicone baking cups can create divided sections in any flat container. Use these for packing things like crackers, sliced cheese, and lunch meats for a cracker-stacking lunch. Small snacks like nuts, pretzels, and chips fit nicely in these as well. You can also bake cupcakes or muffins in them!
Sandwich Crust Remover
You’ll find all sorts of cute animal, puzzle, or heart shaped sandwich cutters. These make quick work of not only removing crusts but also turning a plain sandwich into a cute shape that is magically more appetizing to your picky eater.
Sporks and Utensils
Who doesn’t love eating with a spork? This universal utensil is great for packing lunches. No matter what’s packed for lunch, they will have the perfect utensil. Sporks are also great for camping or hiking trips. You can even get them with a built-in knife edge for cutting.
Which items do you use for making easy packed lunches?
If you use other items that make packing lunches easy, I would love to hear them! Drop a comment with your suggestions below.
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