DIFFERENT, JUST DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEGETABLES. MAC CHEESE, CHICKEN NUGGETS, SEEDS DRIED FRUIT JUST TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING DIFFERENT. MY ONE LOVES PEPPERONI CHEESE AND THEN A CHEESE STICK. PIZZA TOAST IS JUST A PIECE OF BREAD, LIKE YOUR FAVORITE BREAD. A LITTLE BIT OF PIZZA ON IT. AND THEN I’LL SPRINKLE SOME SOME CHEDDAR CHEESE ON IT AND POP IN THE TOASTER OVEN FOR A FEW MINUTES. ALL THESE IDEAS COME FROM MOMS WORKING TOGETHER, THEIR LUNCH MAKING MOVES. ERIN AND ALISON WORKED TOGETHER AT ORLANDO MOM COLLECTIVE. THEY EVEN GOT THEIR KIDDOS TOGETHER. PREP THE PERFECT LUNCH. ALLISON IS ALSO A DIETITIAN AND WANTS HER DAUGHTER FULL WHILE AT SCHOOL. I SAY MAKE SURE THAT YOU SEND A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE YOUR FULL OF FIBER, SO WHETHER IT’S FRESH, FRESH VEGETABLES, I MEAN, THESE YOU STEAMED AND FROZEN, WHICH FINE, BUT THEN SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO STAY IN THEIR BELLY, STAY WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SO THAT THEY’RE NOT LIKE CRASHING 2:00 AND THAT TEACHERS HAVING LIKE A HOUR. EVEN IF YOU’RE TRYING TO BE CREATIVE WITH LUNCHES, MAKE THE FOODS ARE FAMILIAR TO YOUR KIDS. I WOULD SAY THE FIRST AND FOREMOST IS TO PACK SOMETHING THAT YOUR KIDS ARE ALREADY EATING AT HOME BECAUSE KNOW WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE. AND THERE’S THERE’S NO SURPRISE WHEN YOU GET TO THE LUNCHROOM. TO MAKE THINGS EASIER ON PARENTS DO ALL THE HARD WORK THE NIGHT BEFORE TAKE YOU KNOW 510 MINUTES TO CHOP UP STRAWBERRIES, TO CUT UP GRAPES OR WHATEVER AHEAD OF TIME. THEN YOU’RE YOU’RE ALREADY KIND HAD A GAME IN THE MORNING AND LET THE KIDS HELP YOU HAVE A FAVORITE FOOD THAT YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE THAT YOU WANT TO PUT IN YOUR LUNCH TODAY. CAN THEY BE? THAT GOOD? WHAT ABOUT YOU, ANDERSON? WHAT DO YOU TO HAVE IN YOUR SCHOOL LUNCH? HAVE YOU LEARNED BIRDS OF A LA MEREDITH MCDONOUGH WESH 2 NEWS AND FOUR OTHER GREAT BACK TO SCHOOL IDEAS FROM ERIN AND OTHER MOMS HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. CHECK OUT THE MOM COLLECTIVE BLOG. THEY’VE GOTTEN EVERYTHING FROM A FIRST DAY WRITING CHECKLIST TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES. YOU MAYB
Busy moms brainstorm back-to-school lunch ideas
Updated: 11:03 AM EDT Aug 14, 2023
Back to school means making lunches — slice the apples, pack the snacks and start thinking of ideas."The traditional turkey and cheese lunches are great for some kids. I would eat the same thing every day if I could. But my kids, they don't want that. They need variety, they need to change it up,” said Eryn Vargo.Eryn Vargo is a mother of four and the Owner and CEO of Orlando Mom Collective. She gets creative when it comes to lunchtime. “It's really fun to have like a bento box because then you can compartmentalize certain things for them. And they're really getting a lot of little options that make a whole meal. We change things up, you know, with fruit and bars and nuts. You know, different types of vegetables, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, seeds, dried fruit just to give them something different," said Vargo.All these ideas come from moms working together, sharing their lunch-making moves.Eryn and Allison Thommen are teammates at Orlando mom collective, they even got their kiddos together to prep the perfect lunch. Allison is also a dietitian and wants her daughter to feel full while at school.“I would say make sure that you send a couple of things that are full of fiber so whether it's fresh fruits, fresh vegetables. Send something that is going to stay in their belly stay with them throughout the day so that they're not like crashing at two o'clock and that teachers having like a hard hour at the end of the day,” said Thommen.Even if you are trying to be creative with lunches make sure the foods are familiar to your kids.“I would say the first and foremost is to pack something that your kids are already eating at home,” said Thommen. To make things easier on parents, do all the hard work the night before. “If you take you know 5 to 10 minutes to chop up strawberries to cut up grapes or whatever ahead of time, then you're already kind of had a game in the morning,” said Thommen.
Back to school means making lunches — slice the apples, pack the snacks and start thinking of ideas.
"The traditional turkey and cheese lunches are great for some kids. I would eat the same thing every day if I could. But my kids, they don't want that. They need variety, they need to change it up,” said Eryn Vargo.
Eryn Vargo is a mother of four and the Owner and CEO of Orlando Mom Collective. She gets creative when it comes to lunchtime.
“It's really fun to have like a bento box because then you can compartmentalize certain things for them. And they're really getting a lot of little options that make a whole meal. We change things up, you know, with fruit and bars and nuts. You know, different types of vegetables, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, seeds, dried fruit just to give them something different," said Vargo.
All these ideas come from moms working together, sharing their lunch-making moves.
Eryn and Allison Thommen are teammates at Orlando mom collective, they even got their kiddos together to prep the perfect lunch. Allison is also a dietitian and wants her daughter to feel full while at school.
“I would say make sure that you send a couple of things that are full of fiber so whether it's fresh fruits, fresh vegetables. Send something that is going to stay in their belly stay with them throughout the day so that they're not like crashing at two o'clock and that teachers having like a hard hour at the end of the day,” said Thommen.
Even if you are trying to be creative with lunches make sure the foods are familiar to your kids.
“I would say the first and foremost is to pack something that your kids are already eating at home,” said Thommen.
To make things easier on parents, do all the hard work the night before.
“If you take you know 5 to 10 minutes to chop up strawberries to cut up grapes or whatever ahead of time, then you're already kind of had a game in the morning,” said Thommen.
