Yesterday was Opening Day of lunch-packing season (aka the first day of school), and did it ever catch me by surprise.
For the past week, in our soccer- and volleyball-filled life, we had been eating take-out pizza, burgers, cold cereal, and lots of bagels. The occasional Caesar salad. Maybe one really yummy truly home-cooked meal of Rosemary Lemon Chicken.
As a fantastic-but-busy weekend rolled into Sunday night, I realized the direness of our food situation. The cupboards echoed their emptiness. The fridge boasted only a few eggplants (unpopular), a 1/2 gallon of soured milk (great for baking!), and lots of half-gone condiments.
I don’t normally stress over the school lunches that my kids pack for themselves.
But this was OPENING DAY! While normally I just keep an eye on the number of sugar-added foods, insist on some sort of produce, and am both a water and milk pusher, this was different. Opening Day ought to have been something a little special.
Oh, it was special alright.
A Smithsonian-worthy “Classic 1970’s Lunchbox” kind of special.
Peanutbutter and Fluff
Canned applesauce
Potato chips
Granola bars
We didn’t even have enough bread for the sandwiches. Casey took his PB between 2 pancakes, which at least were made them from scratch that morning – with the aforementioned sour milk.
After they left for school, I finally made a trip to Market Basket, my first since they went back into business 2 weeks ago. $150 later, the fridge and cupboards are bursting.
Today was a much better lunch day.
As far as I know. I left for work before they got up…
How’d your Opening Day go?
PB & J brwn ricecakes + apples + sweet tato-triscuits yesterday
Whole wheat french bread pizzas + carrots + watermelon today
I try to go healthy and balanced but it’s tough when mom’s trying to work too! As for tomorrow’s lunch…God knows!?!?!
Our school has specific allergy tables and snax are eaten out of the classroom, so we can throw in nuts or nut butters–which is really helpful. Julia, I’d love to read a “creative lunch-for-boxes” post or have you done one already? Us mommas need help/ideas!
Hi Lisa!
We love Triscuits. I finally stocked up on those yesterday.
The post is a great idea; I will try to photograph a few of our better lunches and pull something together. We could co-write and include ideas from both our homes!!
LOL. I gave up and let Sarah buy a cheeseburger yesterday. But, I drew the line at her request for leftover chicken pot pie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner today. She can have it for dinner. Breakfast was cereal (okay by me). She agreed to salad for lunch, with milk bought from school as her protein source. I agreed to a homemade brownie and goldfish crackers for snack. I really am sympathetic to those with nut allergies, but it really is hard not being able to send a handful of nuts with that salad and that brownie.
Maybe we need a lunch “coop”. Each mom takes a day. Fridays they buy pizza.
Lunch coop – what an idea! I think anything you would make at home – including chicken pot pie – would be more wholesome than most if the well-intentioned “healthier fast food” offered at our school. We love nuts so get our fill at home but I’m with you – it does limit snack options.