Don’t look now, but back to school is here! Are you ready for one of the biggest challenges for Moms  – preparing school lunches day after day?

Whether you have older children who attend school, or your toddler attends daycare or a preschool program, here are 7 back-to-school lunch tips:

1. Make dinner do double-duty

You’re already in the kitchen preparing your family’s dinner, why not use that time to get a head-start on the next day’s brown bag lunches?

Make a double batch of meals that taste just as good “the morning after”, or cook dishes that can be transformed into something “new”, such as pasta sauce that’s just as yummy as pizza topping (on ready-made crust of course).

To make meal planning easier, take a look at Dine Without Whine. It’s a monthly service for planning your family’s meals and grocery shopping.

2. Include lunches when meal planning

To do tip #1, you need to be more organized. This means including your kids’ lunches when planning your family dinners.

3. Let the kids participate

Lighten your load and teach your children some important life skills at the same time. Even small children can help prepare their lunches.

If morning is too stressful, then make this an after-dinner activity – which brings us to…

4. Make advance preparations

Do whatever you can do ahead of time. For example, cook in batches on the weekend, or put leftovers in packable containers the night before.

5. DIY fast food

Commercial packed lunches are attractive but unhealthy. But who says you can’t make your own? Buy your own colorful and attractive lunch boxes, such as a bento-style lunchbox.

Fill it up with a variety of healthy food. Think of mixing up foods with different textures and colors. And cut them up into small pieces so they’re easy and fast to eat.

6. Soup it Up

Soup makes a quick and healthy lunch. You can cook a large pot in the weekend and pack it in a thermos for a warm and satisfying lunch. Serve with whole wheat bread and some fresh fruit and you’ve got a complete meal!

7. Sprinkle in some fun

Sneak a little surprise into your child’s lunchbox once in a while. It could be a little chocolate treat, stickers, or a sweet note from you. Getting something unexpected makes lunch fun.

With planning and creativity, your children can have healthy, delicious lunches without too much work for you.

For meal planning help, go to Dine Without Whine. It makes meal planning a breeze, while helping you save time and money.

Then you’ll have time and energy for those school lunches.

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I have been getting lots of requests for sample toddler menus. I always have suggested signing up for a meal plan service-there are a few options in the right sidebar which I have used and liked.

Here is a basic sample 5 day toddler menu:

Monday – Chicken nuggets, yellow rice, cauliflower, milk

Tuesday – Grilled Cheese, Mixed Veggies (Veg-all), milk

Wednesday – Pasta with (mini) meatballs, green beans, milk

Thursday – Chicken noodle soup, bread slice, fruit cup, milk

Friday – Mac-n-Cheese, Mixed Veggies (Veg-all), milk

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One of the easiest ways to make toddler mealtime more fun is to make their food into shapes.

Cookie Cutter Sandwiches are a staple at our house.

The concept is extremely simple.

Make any sandwich your toddler will enjoy.

Some favorites are:

Peanut Butter & Jelly (assuming no allergies)

Ham & Cheese

Turkey & Cheese

Grilled Cheese

The firmer the sandwich the better, so stacked meat and cheese will work the best.

Take any size cookie cutter and press into sandwich while removing crust, which most children do not like anyway.

Using mini cookie cutters can get you multiple shapes per sandwich.

Copper and Stainless Steel cookie cutters will work the best but are the most expensive. Tin cutters can rust quickly if not wash and dried immediately after use so be sure to take special care of these cutters.

Get creative with your cookie cutters, use holiday and special occasion cutters to mix things up!

We like:

Wilton Mini Halloween 12 Piece Cutter Set

Fox Run Farm Animal Cookie Cutter Set

Fox Run 26 Piece Alphabet Cookie Cutter Set

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Pinwheels are a fun to eat and easy to make for your toddler.

Pinwheels are also sometimes referred to as “roll ups”, and are basically tortillas filled and then rolled up and cut up to look like pinwheels.

The great thing about pinwheels is that the combinations are truly endless and can be modified based on your toddlers palate.

We like to use whole wheat for our tortillas, but flour and other flavors can be used.

Here are some of our favorite pinwheel recipes:

1. Veggie Pinwheel

Whole Wheat Tortilla(s)

Cream Cheese

Shredded Carrot

Chopped Broccoli (cooked)

Any additional Cooked Veggies you’d like

Blend Cream Cheese with shredded carrot and chopped cooked broccoli. Spread mixture on tortilla leaving the edges bare. If preparing ahead roll up tortilla in plastic wrap and refrigerate, if serving immediately simply slice the tortilla up crosswise in as many pieces as you’d like.

2. Turkey & Cheese Pinwheel

Whole Wheat Tortilla(s)

Sliced Deli Turkey

Mozzarella String Cheese Stick(s)

Lettuce Leafs

Apple Butter

Spread Apple Butter on tortilla layering your deli sliced turkey, mozzarella string cheese stick, and lettuce leafs. Roll up and slice crosswise into desired pieces.

3. Ham & Spinach Pinwheel

Whole Wheat Tortilla(s)

Deli sliced Ham

Chopped Spinach (cooked)

Cream Cheese

This pinwheel is especially yummy. Mix chopped cooked spinach with cream cheese. Spread atop tortilla and layer with sliced deli ham. Roll up and cut crosswise into desired pieces.

More Pinwheel Filling Ideas:

Turkey & Apples

Pizza Sauce, Cheese, & Veggies

Turkey & Avocado

Peanut Butter & Jelly

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Need a quick and nutritious toddler lunch in a hurry?

Quesadillas can be made with very few ingredients and be cooked up in a snap.

A quesadilla is 1 (folded) or 2 tortillas with filling cut into triangles.

Tortillas can be white flour, corn, or wheat. We suggest using wheat tortillas when making your quesadillas.

A typical quesadilla consists of chicken and cheese. While this is certainly a great combination, you toddler will also enjoys other types of quesadillas.

Toddler Quesadilla Ideas

1. Chicken, spinach, and cheese

2. Black bean and cheese (other types of beans such as pinto can be used)

3. Scrambled egg, cheese, and veggies

4. Apple and cheese

5. Chopped ham, tomato, and cheese

6. Peanut butter and banana (assuming no nut allergies)

7. Ground beef, pasta sauce, and cheese

8. Cream cheese and strawberry slices

9. All veggie and cheese

10. Cream cheese and jelly

Quesadillas can be served warm or cold. When using ingredients such as shredded cheese these quesadillas will need to be heated as to melt the cheese and make the other ingredients stick.

If using peanut butter or cream cheese there is no need to heat, just spread out fillings, fold, cut and serve.

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Toddlers love finger foods, and there is no easier or quicker lunch than a sandwich. Make any one of these healthy sandwiches and cut off the crust and then in to halves or thirds before serving.You can also use a cookie cutter for a fun twist. The healthiest option would be to use whole wheat or grain bread with any of these sandwiches instead of white.

1. Cream Cheese & Jelly Sandwich

2. Banana & Peanut Butter (Please be sure your toddler is not allergic to nuts before serving)

3. Grilled Cheese - A classic

4. Lunch Meat & Cheese – Turkey, Ham

5. Pizza Sandwich – Tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, toppings (pepperoni, lunch ground beef, mushrooms, etc.) toasted bread.

While your preparing a healthy sandwich for your toddler, let them make their own with the Melissa & Doug Wooden Sandwich Making Kit!

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