Tips and Tricks for Stress-Free School Lunches

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BackToSchoolYourWay #CollectiveBias 

This summer has been flying by and it’s hard to believe, but it’s already half over for us! I’m already making making plans for my kids to be back-to-school in just a few weeks. That means lots of back to school shopping and stocking up on supplies, snacks and school lunch must-haves! Kleenex® Brand Wet Wipes™ are perfect for kids to cleanup anytime!! They are for hands, face and body and thick and so soft. They contain no harsh chemicals and can be found in the facial tissue aisle. I like to keep some of these in my kid’s backpack, some for my kid’s teacher and in my car too! Nabisco Fun Shapes! Cookies & Crackers Variety Pack, 1 Oz., 20 Count is a great size to store in your pantry for lunch box treats. Every individually sealed pack locks in freshness and is perfectly portioned for not only lunch boxes but road trips, family gatherings, kid’s birthday and more. This pack contains 5 packs each of Teddy Grahams Honey, Teddy Grahams Chocolate, Mini Chips Ahoy!, and Barnum’s Animal Crackers. 

This year my daughter starts pre-k, so we will have 2 kids in school! That means I’ll have not one but 2 kids lunches to prepare everyday. And let’s be truthful, that is going to be stressful. So I’m going to do all I can to help prepare for those inevitable stressful mornings when homework is lost, shoes have been eaten by the shoe monster and the dog has runaway with my daughter’s last clean sock.  Mornings in our house can be stressful. Nothing ever goes as planned, things always get lost and the dog is always up to no good. I feel lucky most days to get the kids fed before they’re off to school. So to help make school lunches a little less stressful, I’ve come up with a few tips and tricks to make school lunches a bit easier!

1. Save valuable time in the morning by making kid’s lunches the night before – this is a great way to divide up leftovers from the previous night’s dinner.
2. Use divided lunch containers – these are cheap so you won’t get upset if one of your kids tosses it in the trash. Plus they hold a sandwich, wrap or salad along with 2 sides.
3. Boil eggs at the beginning of the week for easy lunch snacks – boiled eggs are a great side item for school lunches and an inexpensive source of high quality protein too!
4. Make PB&J sandwiches and place them in the freezer for emergency lunches – frozen PB&J sandwiches will thaw by lunch and make a great item when you run out of everything else.
5. Make baskets for easy to grab fruit for the kids – Making baskets like these are a great way to have easily accessible fruit that your kids can choose from.
6. Pre-portion small snack bags of nuts, trail mix or popcorn and cut up fruit too- these make great little snacks for kids to enjoy that are easy to store in the pantry. I like to cut up a melon or maybe some pineapple or watermelon at the beginning of the week and have it for lunches and snacks.
7. Shelf stable milk – these store in the pantry and make a great better for kids alternative to sugary juice boxes. Just refrigerate or freeze the night before for lunch boxes
8. Use crackers, sandwich meat and cheese to make homemade lunch combinations – and make them healthier by adding veggies and fruit!
9. Don’t forget to have a treat basket! I always like to keep yummy treats from Nabisco for the kid’s lunches too. It can make any so-so day an incredible one when they open their lunch box and see one of their favorite snacks!
10. Pack Kleenex® Brand Wet Wipes™ – these are perfect to keep in your kid’s backpack or purchase for your child’s teacher. They are perfect for kids to cleanup before and after lunch! 

With the back to school season getting closer and closer, I get all the things on my list with  Walmart Online Grocery. They have all my School Lunch Must-Haves. During back-to-school season, school supplies and teacher supplies are also available at Walmart Online Grocery! I’ve been using Walmart’s Online ordering and pickup for about a year now and I just love it so much! It’s so convenient. Instead of making a grocery list like I usually do, I just add the items I need to the Walmart grocery app right from my smartphone. I’m also able to log into my account from my computer and add items that way too. 

Then at the end of the week, I just order the items in my cart and schedule a time to pick them up! It couldn’t be easier. Walmart took the one thing I disliked about grocery shopping and actually fixed it! I am so grateful for this service, especially with 3 young kids and an attention needing dog too! When I leave my home, I check in on the app. And then when I get to Walmart, I just pull up in the designated parking area that’s clearly marked, and a friendly Walmart associate somehow with Walmart magic is there to greet me with my order! Did I mention how awesome this service is?

I got Kleenex® Brand Wet Wipes™ Gentle Clean for Hands and Face and Nabisco Fun Shapes! Cookies & Crackers Variety Pack, 1 Oz., 20 Count at my local Walmart using the Online Grocery ordering and pickup. 

Did you know you can also order lots of non food items using Walmart Online grocery ordering like Kleenex Wet Wipes? Being able to order so many non food items through this service has helped our family save money and is so convenient. Whatever is on your Walmart list, be sure to check and see if it’s available through Walmart Online Grocery ordering too! If you haven’t used Walmart Online Grocery ordering, be sure to check if it’s available in your area and just try it out. It’s only a $30 minimum and just think of all the time you’ll save being able to just pick up your groceries and not have to go in the store.  I always tell all my new mom friends they have to take advantage of this service. You can just put the baby to sleep in the car and go pick up the groceries without ever disturbing your little one. It’s also invaluable for older people that may have trouble getting around too.