Getting everyone out the door (including yourself!) stress free can be a morning challenge. That's why we partnered with Rubbermaid for time-saving solutions.
As much as I'd love to say I pack my child's lunch regularly the night before she heads to school, I'm often scrambling in the morning attempting to toss something edible together. And dealing with all those individually packed items turns into a big garbage mess. Dedicate a few minutes to lunch-packing prep on Sunday evenings and you'll save time — and your sanity — in the mornings.
1 Apple Sauce Muffins
My daughter loves applesauce. I dislike that it sloshes all over the inside of her lunch box. But adding a packet of unflavored gelatin heated with 1/4 cup boiling water to 2 cups of your child's favorite applesauce turns it into a solid bite. Pour into silicon muffin liners and let set overnight. Store in the fridge and grab and add to lunches in the mornings.
2 Cucumber Cream Cheese Stacks
Turn a cucumber into a week's worth of small bites by slicing then cutting away the skin using an edged cookie cutter. Leave as is and add to lunches or create minibites with a dollop of cream cheese and round of turkey. Pack between pieces of waxed paper and store in a sealable container and they're ready to eat.
3 Frozen Fruit Cups
I love this time-saving hack that makes adding fruit to my tot's lunch so easy. Place muffin liners in a metal baking tray and fill with grapes, blueberries, or even strawberries. Simply grab from the freezer and add to a plastic container in your child's lunch. They stay nice and cold until lunch.
4 Peanut Butter and Jelly Rolls
Let refrigerator crescent dough be the bread for making grab-and-go peanut butter and jelly rolls. Bake a batch on Sunday night then store in a zip-top bag in the fridge. It's a heaven of premade sandwiches for the week.
5 Organized Snack Packs
Buy snacks your child loves in bulk and create a Sunday-night assembly line for portioning out servings into plastic containers. It's a fun way to get your child involved in what goes into their lunch while getting a head start on the week. Store in a kitchen cabinet and you're set. And since the containers don't need refrigerating, grab one and toss into your child's lunch bag each night along with a cute note, which will make her day.