Free from 30DayCafe.com – Printable Lunch Box “Love” Notes

Since the day my kids started Kindergarten, I've been sending them to school with "love notes" placed in their lunch boxes.  These are just simple notes letting them know that I am thinking about them during their long day at school.

Sometimes I write a personal note with a simple post-it, and other times I include a little joke or card.

If you want to send your child to school with a little mid-day "pick me up" here are some printable notes that I designed for 30DayCafe readers and fans.

30 Day Cafe Lunch Box Notes

 

Share and enjoy!  Your kids certainly will!

 

Fed Up With Lunch? If you aren’t…you should be.

I recently discovered this eye-opening blog "Fed Up With Lunch - The School Lunch Project" where a brave Midwestern mom journals her commitment to eat school lunches every day in 2010.

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k Out Day 56 - Chicken Patty

The blog also includes photos of the daily meals she is eating in the school cafeteria which are not always for the faint of heart.

Are you fed up with school lunches as well?  Check out the following links for ways that you can get involved in advocating for healthier school lunches.

7 Back-to-School Lunch Tips

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Don't look now, but school's here! Are you ready for one of the biggest challenges for Moms of school-age kids - preparing school lunches day after day?

There's hope and help for you yet. Here are 7 back-to-school lunch tips. Hey, I can't come over and make your kids' lunches for you, but these tips will surely make it much easier:

1. Make dinner do double-duty

You're already in the kitchen preparing your family's dinner, why not use that time to get a head-start on the next day's brown bag lunches?

Make a double batch of meals that taste just as good "the morning after," you know, like fried chicken. Or cook dishes that can be transformed into something "new", such as pasta sauce that's just as yummy as pizza topping (on ready-made crust of course).

To make meal planning easier, take a look at Dine Without Whine. It's a monthly service for planning your family's meals and grocery shopping.

2. Include lunches when meal planning

To do tip #1, you need to be more organized. This means including  your kids' lunches when planning your family dinners.

3. Let the kids participate

Lighten your load and teach your children some important life skills at the same time. Even small children can help  prepare their lunches.

If morning is too stressful, then make this an after-dinner activity - which brings us to...

4. Make advance preparations

Do whatever you can do ahead of time. For example, cook in batches on the weekend, or put leftovers in packable containers the night before.

5. DIY fast food

Commercial packed lunches are attractive but unhealthy. But who says you can't make your own? Buy your own colorful and attractive lunch boxes, such as a bento-style lunchbox.

Fill it up with a variety of healthy food. Think of mixing up foods with different textures and colors. And cut them up into small pieces so they're easy and fast to eat.

6. Soup it Up

Soup makes a quick and healthy lunch. You can cook a large pot in the weekend and pack it in a thermos for a warm and satisfying lunch. Serve with whole wheat bread and some fresh fruit and you've got a complete meal!

7. Sprinkle in some fun

Sneak a little surprise into your child's lunchbox once in a while. It could be a little chocolate treat, stickers, or a sweet note from you. Getting something unexpected makes lunch fun.

With planning and creativity, your children can have healthy, delicious lunches without too much work for you.

For meal planning help, go to Dine Without Whine. It makes meal planning a breeze, while helping you save time and money.

Then you'll have time and energy for those school lunches.