This post is sponsored by Simple Modern, but all thoughts are my own.

Packing school lunches is notoriously difficult! 

Ask any parent: when the school year rolls around- there’s equal parts excitement and dread! Excitement for routine and rhythm that many of us miss in the summer, but dread for the never ending days of school lunches and snacks ahead of us.

Packing lunches is a tricky task. Not only do we have to do it a million times, but half the time the kids don’t even eat what we pack them! I LOATHE unpacking lunch boxes when they have barely touched the food.

Coming up with ideas that are fresh and include variety AND that our kids will eat can be tough. It can be even tougher if you’re working with a picky eater. 

We also have to consider packability, temperature, grocery shopping schedules, allergies/school restrictions, etc! 

So if you find this task to be one that hangs over your head during the school year, you’re not alone. I am a Registered Dietitian and all things food = my job that I love, and I still get burned out by this.

Let’s dig into a few ways to make this never ending cycle of packing lunches a little less burdensome.

School Eating Habits

Are you wondering why your kid seems to be pickier (or if you’re lucky, even less picky) at school? Are you surprised by what they eat or don’t eat?

It surprised me, too!  But it’s not uncommon for kids to have different eating habits at school versus at home. 

It could be that they eat more at school than at home. 

We can thank some social pressure for this- not in a bad way! It’s in a sort of “my peers are all eating with me so I’m eating, too” kind of way! Sometimes that kind of atmosphere takes the pressure off when they don’t have mom or dad taking inventory of what they eat (we don’t mean to, okay!?). 

Some kids also routinely eat less at school. If you’re raising your hand, I know it can be a tough problem to solve! 

School lunch can be a stressful environment for some kids. New foods might be a no-go, as they crave familiarity and tend to only eat the foods they know and like. I’ve also heard from several parents that they’re navigating early lunch times (as early as 10:30!) or rushed lunch periods (20 min!). Those aren’t conducive to kids getting a chance to eat their whole lunch or even feel hungry enough for a meal.

For kids who are more sensory sensitive, all the sights, sounds, and smells in the cafeteria can distract them away from their meal. 

For social butterflies, lunch can be a fun social hour. They may spend the time chatting and socializing and forget to pay much attention to what’s in their lunch box! 

Does your kid bring home a full lunch box after school?

Like I said, you’re not alone! Even “good” eaters can be hit or miss with school lunches. 

I know none of us want to unpack their backpack at the end of the day and see all that perfectly good food gone to waste. I, too, hate wasting food. Have you seen the price of berries these days?!

But unfortunately, packing lunch for kids means we will eventually end up with some food waste. No one can perfectly predict what their kid will eat each day, even when you pack things they regularly eat! 

So what do you do about it? 

Step one would be to see if you can find out why their lunchbox is coming home full. Although I know you might be lucky to even get a shoulder shrug in response when you ask. You may be able to get some intel from their teacher if there’s anything interfering with their ability/desire to eat at mealtime.

But sometimes no one can give you a clear answer! Kids don’t make perfect sense, and that’s an understatement – haha!

What to do when your kids aren’t eating their lunch at school

I want to give you some quick things to think about if you’re getting tripped up with school lunches. 

• Make sure you’re packing at least 1 liked food

Similar to the rules for picky eating, I recommend packing at least one safe food, if not 2!  I try to make this safe food a substantial item if possible. For example, I wouldn’t pick the safe food to  just be carrots because that’s not going to fill them up. I’d want to choose something like bread or cheese. And add the carrots, too!

School isn’t necessarily the time to try new things. Safe/liked foods are more the direction we want to go. If you do want to include new things, try small portions, only one thing, and don’t expect that they’ll get eaten.

• It is OKAY if your kid wants the same thing for lunch every day

Yes, there are a ton of different foods you can try, but if they are happy with a nutritious lunch and want it over and over again, then I would not stress too much about it.

• And it’s okay if they need a break from their faves!

The running joke is that as soon as you buy a favorite food in bulk, they suddenly don’t want it anymore. Sometimes you just need a break, and kids are allowed to feel that way too. So no one is to blame when a favorite needs to slip out of rotation for a bit.

• Use the right gear

One overlooked issue at lunch time is that parents pack things without realizing their little one needs help opening it. Some bagged items and even lunch boxes are tricky for little hands to open. 

I like to opt for an easy-open lunch box container tucked into a zipper lunch bag with an ice pack to keep it cold. My favorite lunch bag is the Simple Modern Hadley lunch bag, and their ice packs come in cute shapes and colors, too! This lunch box is a perfect size for school, comes in tons of fun patterns and prints, and is durable, insulated, and easy for kids of all ages to zip and unzip! Don’t underestimate how much a fun lunch bag can get kids excited about what they’re about to pull out of their backpack at lunchtime! 

• Keep a list of favorite foods for each kid 

Sometimes your mind goes blank when you’re packing your 15th lunch of the week! Keep a list somewhere to remind you of lunches they like. These lists also guide my grocery shopping when I’m stumped on what to buy. 

• Get your kids involved! 

This isn’t as big of a tip for toddlers, because they can often make the process harder (although they can still help with simple tasks like putting food into the lunch box). But ideally, this tip can eventually make your lunch packing process easier! Older kids can start to take some ownership by deciding on lunch items and assembling the things they like! I made this lunch packing handout to simplify the process of choosing items from each category to build a nutritious lunch! 

By the time they are in middle school/high school they should be responsible for packing their own lunch entirely. The end is in sight- sort of. 

What not to do when they aren’t eating their lunch at school

I know it’s so frustrating to open a full lunchbox after school. You don’t want that food to go to waste. You don’t want your kid to log another day of refusing to eat the healthy, nourishing foods you work hard to buy and prepare for them. I get it, it’s maddening. 

Buuut, here’s what we can’t do when their lunchbox comes home full:

• Make them eat it after school

Some pre-packaged and shelf-stable may be okay to eat after school (like a bag of Hippeas or some crackers). But perishable items will no longer be safe to eat after a full school day, even if they were in an insulated lunchbox with an ice pack. Without getting deep into the microbiology of it all, when food is in what is called the time-temperature-danger-zone, bacteria multiplies RAPIDLY. You have a few hours where this isn’t a problem, and ice packs help keep that at bay. But ice packs don’t do the same thing as refrigeration. Those foods can’t be held outside of that danger zone as they’re sent to school all day. 

When in doubt, throw it out.

Food safety is so important! Foods that should not be eaten after school or saved for another time include anything that came from the refrigerator or freezer, anything that has been cut (like a whole apple or orange would be fine, but peeled and sliced would not be fine). 

The one exception to this is something like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Since this is made from all shelf-stable items, it’s more likely to be safe after school! However, if it comes in contact with other lunch items that wouldn’t be safe to eat, I’d toss it. 

How to pack a lunch

And now for the X’s and O’s. I lay this out pretty extensively in the downloadable lunch handout I mentioned above,  but I want to go over it here, too! I have tons of posts about school lunches for all ages from preschooler lunches to toddler lunches to picky eater lunches and beyond. If you’re looking for specific meal combinations, check out ANY of those posts for tons of ideas.

If packing school lunches is new for you this year, or you just need some new supplies, I put together a lunch packing supplies toolkit! It’s like an online magazine and it’s super fun. You’ll find my top favorite supplies grouped by age (daycare, pre-k, kinder/1st/2nd) and I include tips for packing lunch for each age group, too!

But if you’re wanting a sort of framework that you can plug and play your family’s favorites, here’s my method. 

My Lunch Packing Method

Include: 

• A main dish

Lunch doesn’t have to be a sandwich. It can be so many other things like a bagel and cream cheese, a muffin, a wrap, a deli meat roll up. There are lots of great options. 

• Fruit and/or veg 

I usually say a fruit OR a veggie will suffice! It doesn’t HAVE to be both. It’s hard to keep fresh fruit and veggies on hand all week. And the good news is that fruit and vegetables have a ton of the same nutritional benefits like fiber and micronutrients. 

• Side 1

Mentally, I think of this first side as something that still carries a good amount of nutritional weight like cheese, yogurt, nuts/seeds, etc. It’s another way to add a little extra protein and/or fat and fiber that will help keep them satisfied and full. 

• Side 2

I think of this side as more of an extra component if you need to add something here for fullness or just another dependable food you know they’ll eat. It could be something like crackers, chips, or pretzels. Maybe it’s not the star of the show nutritionally. But it helps keep them full and guarantees there will be something in their lunch box they like to eat. 

Sometimes I also choose to pack a sweet food if I feel like I’ve offered enough other food they’re likely to eat. Dessert doesn’t need to be in every lunch but it’s definitely okay to send sometimes! 

• Don’t forget their water bottle!

Staying hydrated is just as important as staying nourished during the school day. Simple Modern has a great water bottle called the Summit water bottle that is ideal for school. It’s stainless steel with a leak proof straw lid! I guarantee your child will drink more water when they get to choose their own cute water bottle pattern from over 60 options. I really swear by letting my kids have fun kid stuff. In my opinion, it makes them more likely to enjoy their meals when there’s a little fun involved! Simple Modern gear really nails the playful, fun vibe with their products. They also hold up well to repeated daily use! 

Throw the Hadley lunch bag and the leakproof Summit water bottle into the Simple Modern Fletcher backpack (again, we’re talking nearly 40 fun pattern choices!) and you’re out the door for an easy drop-off (they’re always easy, right?!). 

Godspeed for the school year ahead. I’ll be packing lunches right along with you.