Has anyone tried a school lunch delivery service

[Anonymous]

I rely heavily on prepared items for lunches. My kids are tweens, so the quantities might be bigger than for younger kids, but the formula has held since they were in younger grades:

1 main - sandwich (or two - see: growing tweens), cold or heated pasta, hard boiled eggs, slices of leftover chicken or deli meat.

2 fruit or vegetable, preferably something that doesn’t require me to do any prep work for packing - clementines, apple, peach, strawberries, applesauce, fruit cup packed in juice. I try for at least one fresh item, but am ok with the second being processed (applesauce, etc).

2-3 snacks - popcorn (packaged), pretzels, nuts, edamame, chips, crackers, fruit roll up, string cheese.

1 dessert - usually a couple of cookies, maybe a small candy bar after Halloween or Easter

1 drink - I have a bunch of glass bottles that I fill with OJ or apple juice at the beginning of the week. They also take water bottles.

With the possible exception of the main, all can be prepped for multiple days at a time. Packing a lunch box in the morning consists of grabbing the items and throwing them in the lunchbox. Most of the time my kids do it themselves now, but it really only takes a minute whether it’s me or them.

[Anonymous]

gosh all you parents packing a dessert regularly in a lunchbox. you are the reason my kids complain they are deprived because they only get fruit. No, i never tried a school lunch delivery service, but after reading some of these posts here, I understand why people do it.

[Anonymous]

I order from CleanEatz and have been happy with it. The menu changes monthly.

[Anonymous]

The lunch hack that I like to share bc many ppl don't realize you can do this is: batch make as many pbj (or nut free version) sandwiches as you can handle, and freeze them. Pull one out each day. They thaw fast. I usually toast the bread before making them and they taste fresh by lunchtime (I've tried!). Every other week or so I'll make a loaf of bread's worth of sandwiches. Put them back in the original loaf of bread bag, pop it back in the freezer. Grab and go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not looking forward to packing school lunches this year, and would prefer to avoid school lunches (most days) based on the quality of the food. Has anyone tried any of those "organic, free range, blah blah blah" food delivery services that are specifically geared towards kids? Do your kids actually eat them? Are they packaged in a ton of plastic? Any advice on ones worth trying or ones to avoid?

I would love to outsource healthy-ish school lunches, at least for a couple of days a week!

Delivery to your home and sent into school I assume. I can't see schools being thrilled with food deliveries to the school. And I can totally see parents aiming for delivery to the school.

Whitman High School has an arrangement with at least one local Thai restaurant to get lunches delivered So not at your DC’s age, maybe, but in their future.

[Anonymous]

Your need is too niche for there to be a market for this.

[Anonymous]

DS and I spend a Sunday batch making stuff he likes - like mashed potatoes and kielbasa, meatloaf, spaghetti with meat sauce, etc. We portion it individually and freeze. He alternates these lunches with a deli meat sandwich or a yogurt and hummus, pulls out a frozen meal the night before, heats and puts it in his thermos with an apple in the am.

We have some Amy's frozen meals on hand or similar in case everything falls apart and he just heats those up in the am and puts them in a thermos with a side of fruit.

I also hate packing lunches but it's doable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate making lunches too but honestly it isn’t that hard. Sandwich (PB&J is our go to), some fruit, cheese, and something else like cookies, fig bars, or chips is what I usually do. If you are really lazy just use uncrustables then you don’t even have to make the sandwich.

Wish my kids would eat sandwiches but they simply won’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:gosh all you parents packing a dessert regularly in a lunchbox. you are the reason my kids complain they are deprived because they only get fruit. No, i never tried a school lunch delivery service, but after reading some of these posts here, I understand why people do it.

Pack a dessert for your kids then.

[Anonymous]

I don't think a lot parents like making and prepping kids' lunches.

But there are a lot of hassles in parenting, but you do them anyway. Making lunches is one of them.

Having said there, there are ways to make it easier on yourself - tons of prepackaged snacks (apple slices, carrots, popcorn, pretzels, yogurt, etc) that streamline the prep work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate making lunches too but honestly it isn’t that hard. Sandwich (PB&J is our go to), some fruit, cheese, and something else like cookies, fig bars, or chips is what I usually do. If you are really lazy just use uncrustables then you don’t even have to make the sandwich.

Wish my kids would eat sandwiches but they simply won’t.

I started subbing out sandwiches for a 2nd bag of chips/crackers/popcorn/whatever snack bag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:gosh all you parents packing a dessert regularly in a lunchbox. you are the reason my kids complain they are deprived because they only get fruit. No, i never tried a school lunch delivery service, but after reading some of these posts here, I understand why people do it.

Pack a dessert for your kids then.

My kids are both super skinny, packing desert is one way I try to fatten them up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate making lunches too but honestly it isn’t that hard. Sandwich (PB&J is our go to), some fruit, cheese, and something else like cookies, fig bars, or chips is what I usually do. If you are really lazy just use uncrustables then you don’t even have to make the sandwich.

Wish my kids would eat sandwiches but they simply won’t.

Have you tried changing the bread? My kids don’t like sandwiches on regular bread but then will eat them on hamburger buns.

[Anonymous]

We have used Easy Lunchboxes for years. They go in the dishwasher. Just throw some crap your kid will eat in it. Don't overthink.

https://www.amazon.com/EasyLunchboxes-3-Compartment-Bento-Containers-Classic/dp/B004S129AQ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate making lunches too but honestly it isn’t that hard. Sandwich (PB&J is our go to), some fruit, cheese, and something else like cookies, fig bars, or chips is what I usually do. If you are really lazy just use uncrustables then you don’t even have to make the sandwich.

Wish my kids would eat sandwiches but they simply won’t.

Have you tried changing the bread? My kids don’t like sandwiches on regular bread but then will eat them on hamburger buns.

+1
I cut my kids' sandwiches into triangles. I'll even take the food scissors and cut off the crust.