school lunch from scratch with maria provenzano

School lunches have become the bane of my existence! My son just turned two, and he doesn't want to eat anything besides crackers, applesauce, and yogurt. I'm fully aware that I am not alone out here in this situation, BUT that doesn't help my sanity at 6am when I am trying to figure out what to pack in his lunch. While I get the wheels spinning on that (hoping to bring you some lunchbox inspiration in the future...once I figure it out), I want to share some of the products that I found work for packing all of the food my son doesn't eat at school, and what the teachers like for us to bring.

Weekly Favorites: School Lunches

PlanetBox Lunch Box; I love this brand, because they are eco-friendly, have great separators, easy to clean, non-toxic, and built to last!

Lunch Box; Even though the PlanetBox comes with a lunch bag, my son's school recommends a larger bag. He needs to have enough space to have snacks for the entire day. Look for one that has a side pocket for a water bottle. This ensures they have it at lunch in case they forget their other bottle somewhere.

Reusable Bags; These are great, because they are eco-friendly and reusable. You can spend lots of money on plastic bags, and this way you don't have to worry about it.

Sporks; This way you don't have to pack two things! The spork is a brilliant invention.

Ice Packs; You will want to make sure to keep things cold, especially if you are backing meat and dairy.

Sippy Cup/Cup; My son's school recommends he have two cups at school. One for lunch and the other for the classroom. I feel like you can never have enough of these.

Towel; Since my son is in a toddler program, they help him out when it comes to eating lunch. They recommend packing a small towel, or napkin, for them to place their food on. It's easier for them to lay out everything that is packed in the lunch box.

Labels/Puffy Paint; I LOVE my label maker...maybe too much! Everything your child takes to school needs to be labeled, from their cup, to their clothes. Now, you can really use the label maker for clothes or fabric, but my son's teacher swears by puffy paint for those. I haven't tried it out yet, I'm just using a permanent marker, but it's worth a try.

Post-Its; These are great to leave lunch notes for the teachers. At my son's school they will heat things up for them, or help them in any way they may need, and you can let them know by leaving them a note. If your child is old enough, you can leave them a little note as well.

Thermos; These are great for packing hot or cold items. In the winter it is nice for soups, pastas, etc.