Backstory here is that my daughter Olive started school at 2-years-old. I had her in 5 days a week, 3 hours a day. A year later, we just moved to California and Troy is working a great job, which means I could stay at home with her all summer! I had so much fun BUT, I do love the idea of her going to school to socialize, learn from other adults, get some academics in, and I also LOVE my job so I wanted to dabble back into working.
Fast forward to today… I finally found a preschool in California for Olive to attend 2x a week, half days. The perfect balance! With that said, it’s still two lunchboxes I have to fill before 8am.
I noticed the days I stopped trying so hard on lunch and just grabbed whatever was in the fridge were the days she actually ate more of it. So that became the whole system. Protein, fat, carbs, something she’ll eat, one fun thing. 5 minutes, done.
I’ve been doing this long enough now that I have a real rotation, not a theoretical one. So here’s what’s actually in Olive’s lunchbox, plus all the gear we use.
PlanetBox Lunchbox + insulated lunch bag duo - admittedly a little on the pricier side, I’ve tried others and they’ve leaked, gotten moldy, or been a nightmare to clean. After over 1 year of use, this one still feels brand new and is easy to clean. This was recommended to me by 4 friends, it’s worth the investment.
Ice packs - these are really effective and thin (and also what my husband also uses to keep his lunches cold!)
Kids water bottle - Olive loves it for the princesses, I love it because it doesn’t leak and stays cold all day.
Name labels - these hold up through the dishwasher and don’t peel off.
This is this month’s free recipe. Every month I send one recipe to everyone on this list, paid or not. If you want a new recipe in your inbox every single week + the meal planning, grocery strategy, and behind the scenes of how I actually pull dinner together, that’s all inside the paid subscription. $5 a month or $50 a year.
These are seven real lunches I’ve packed this year for Olive. No staging, no special shopping trips, just what we had at home.
Turkey, sliced cheese and crackers, grapes, celery and carrots with hummus, pumpkin seeds
The one I come back to most. Everything’s grab and go, nothing gets cooked, and she eats almost all of it every time. The hummus gives her something to dip, which always helps. Pumpkin seeds go in nearly every lunch, easy zinc and healthy fat for zero effort.
Leftover corn on the cob, cottage cheese, sliced cucumber, orange slices, gluten free cereal
My favorite kind of lunch because I didn’t have to think at all. Whatever we had for dinner goes straight into the lunchbox the next morning, corn, sweet potato, meatballs, it all works. Cottage cheese covers protein, cereal gives her something crunchy.
Grapes and strawberries, turkey, cheese, crackers, cottage cheese, pumpkin seeds, Happy Wolf bar
A little bit of everything: protein, fat, carbs, fruit, and a Happy Wolf bar as her treat. I always throw in something small and fun. Balanced, not restrictive.
Turkey cheese and sourdough sandwich, carrots, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes, orange slices, pumpkin seeds, gluten free cereal
For days with a little more time. Turkey and cheese on sourdough, cut into triangles, she thinks it’s fancy. Veggies on the side need nothing but a rinse and chop.
Grapes, crackers, soft boiled egg, turkey, cheese sticks, cucumber, Once Upon a Farm smoothie pouch
The lowest effort lunch I pack and one of the best. Basically a deconstructed snack plate. The soft boiled egg comes from a big batch I make on Sundays, so it’s truly just grab and go. The smoothie pouch plays dessert.
Sweet potatoes, meatballs, pita and hummus, celery and carrots, string cheese, fruit
Dinner from the night before, straight into the lunchbox. Maybe three minutes of effort. Sweet potatoes and meatballs, pita, hummus, whatever fruit I had, string cheese on the side. Done.
Leftover pasta, blueberries and strawberries, turkey and cheese, pumpkin seeds, Happy Wolf bar
Cold pasta works great for toddlers, they don’t care that it’s not warm. Leftover rigatoni, turkey and cheese on the side, berries, pumpkin seeds, a bar for her treat. Five minutes, no cooking.
Prep the night before. Doing it in the morning means rushing and stressing. Five minutes the night before changes everything.
Use leftovers without guilt. Half of Olive’s best lunches are just whatever we had for dinner. Not lazy, just smart.
Keep the basics stocked. Turkey, cheese, fruit, hummus, crackers, and I can always pack a lunch.
Let go of “aesthetic.” A handful of grapes, some turkey, a cheese stick, that’s a good lunch. No bento box masterpiece required.
Include something they love every time. Usually fruit or her little treat. Excitement gets the whole thing eaten.
Don’t panic if it comes home untouched. Some days everything gets eaten, some days nothing does. That’s preschool, not your parenting.
If this saves you five minutes tomorrow morning, pass it along to a mom in your group chat. That’s what it’s here for.
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