I Caved! School Lunch Update

For the sake of my sanity during the first week of school, I completely caved on my good intentions of packing healthy lunches. I bought, GASP, two Lunchables. For the young one, this was quite a treat, but it also sparked some incredible discussions about what was in those bright yellow boxes. And I had serious parental guilt when I read the ingredients. Yikes.

The one thing I know for sure about being a parent is that you're guilt ridden at every step, so I'm learning to forgive myself, and move on. It's easy to type this, but not so easy to live it. I think I heard somewhere, that Mom is Latin for guilt. Well, not really, but sometimes it feels like it.

So, he carried his Lunchables two days, ate hot lunch one day (It's PANCAKE DAY MOM), and I sent a healthy lunch one day. The lunch I packed was enjoyed, but it didn't travel very well. And the amount of trash that it generated was not fitting with my attempt at cutting down on waste in our house. So, I caved once again, and bought a Laptop Lunchbox system on ebay. And we love it.

Laptop Lunchboxes are compartmentalized lunch totes, made from Tupperware-like plastic. It's like a Japanese Bento box. It washes up easily, comes in an insulated carrier, and is completed by a drink bottle and utensils. Young One loves it and can't wait to use it. The "system" we purchased came with a recipe book and guide to healthy eating. I don't know how far into that we'll wade, but may use it for inspiration.

Right now, we're at peak harvest time, so we've been hitting the farmers markets and enjoying fantastic fruits and veggies from the grocery store. The best way I've found to get Young One to eat fruits and veggies is to make sure he's really hungry when he's trying them and to make sure to present a wide variety. It's going to be interesting to see what can get packed into his laptop lunchbox and what will come back home.

I'll keep you posted!