How do you handle school lunches?

School lunches can run the gamut - from the ever familiar PB&J to a high schooler who goes out to lunch, eat kiddo has a different preference. With 18 kids among us, we each share how we handle this mid-day meal (or heavy snack), if we pack a lunch, when and some favorites. And, see how lunch at school pairs with an after school meal that for some is even more fortifying. How much do your kids help with this process, how much variety is on the menu and what are ways we've simplified this part of parenting? We dish on each question. As Ali puts it, "At the end of the day, simple, consistent, and collaborative is what works best for our family when it comes to school lunches."

Kim, Home Connoisseur from @Reverie.and.Root & Founder of Spilling Goodness

School lunches are pretty straightforward these days - although I do feel like they may evolve a bit soon. I pack lunches at night after dinner as we're cleaning up the kitchen. Our standard fare is a sandwich (PB&J or ham and cheese mostly), a "crunchy" (pretzel, chip, trail mix), fruit (usually apples or grapes) and something sweet. When the kids were first taking lunches to school, I used to try to be a bit more creative, but this is just what they like and its easy, so I roll with it. My youngest has been asking about taking a hot lunch from time to time, so we'll how that works into the mix.

Then, once a week, our kids buy lunch at school. This is typically on Fridays depending on the school menu and as much as I'd like to think my kids will make healthy choices, and I'm quietly annoyed that a school can offer cheese filled breadsticks or a soft pretzel as a viable lunch option, they can pick whatever they want. Que sera, sera.

When my middle was flying through lunch money, we chatted about what he was buying. Turns out, his buddies were playing a game at lunch called, "casino." They would all put a treat in the middle of the table and spin someone's water bottle. Who ever it landed on got the pot. I just picture a table full of joy and the kid who walked away with 10 snacks - so, I either sent double snacks or kept the lunch money flowing - middle school boys and food are something else!

Rebecca, Woman's Leadership Coach from @PleasantlyAggressive

This year, we transitioned to no packed lunches, only snacks. Once the responsibility for their own lunches fell to my kids, it was a pretty easy decision to move to hot lunch - lol. My middle schooler is a picky eater and has found a few menu options that work for him so the decision has persisted this year.

My high schooler has open-campus - meaning he goes out to lunch most days. He and his friends have taken to going to Costco for pizza, hot dogs, or chicken bake. They’re growing boys, so it's a lot of food for a low price - I appreciate their thriftiness! He does eat school lunches too, but mostly just grabs a snack or drink from the vending machine.

I miss leaving little notes in their lunchbox or surprising them with little treats. But I also love that it’s one less thing on my plate and something they’ve learned to take ownership of.

Ashley, Millennial Mom Nutrition Coach from @AshleyBreaksTheCycle

School lunches in our house are… not simple.

I pack everything in the morning before school. One of my kids buys lunch every day, so I just send him with a snack and a water bottle. My middle son gets a packed lunch and snack—but honestly, he rarely eats the lunch. He’s on Ritalin for ADHD, which suppresses his appetite during the day, so most of his hunger kicks in after school. That’s usually when I give him a more substantial “real” lunch or big snack.

Even though it feels like a waste sometimes packing a lunch I know won’t get eaten, he really likes the structure of having it there. So I keep doing it.

My daughter is more hit or miss—sometimes I pack, sometimes she buys—but all three get water since there’s no snack time in middle school.

The biggest challenge? None of my kids like sandwiches. Not even a basic peanut butter and jelly. They all prefer hot food, which means I’m using the air fryer, oven, or reheating leftovers most mornings. It’s definitely more of a production than I’d like, but it’s just part of the routine at this point.

And while I complain about it, there is something nice about knowing it’s done first thing in the morning. Once they leave, lunch is off my plate for the day.

So yes—it’s a bit of a love/hate situation. Probably the definition of a catch-22.

Emilee, Book Aficionado from @The BookClubCart

All 3 of my kids prefer a home lunch. So simplifying is my solution!

Years ago with my first entering Kindergarten, I was putting alot of effort into his lunch to ensure it was nutritious and filling. I was asking him what he wanted to eat each day, packing leftovers from the dinner he loved, changing up the fruit and veggie so it wasn’t boring, etc. If you have kids you probably know where this is headed …he was coming back with almost full lunches! All that time and food wasted. With so little time to eat lunch and the excitement to socialize with his friends, I realized I needed to change my expectations.

It was time to simplify; take the brain power out of it and minimize the time I was spending on it.

Fast forward to today and making 3 kids lunches every morning, I have a simple process. First, they get the same “meal” each day in their lunch. I am not trying to heat food up to store in a thermos or coming up with additional food items or taking lunch requests. It is the same lunch everyday. Each child’s lunch is a similar variation of each others so it keeps it easy when ordering groceries. I always make sure to have these lunch essentials on hand.

Second, I pack mainly snacks. They are grazing on their food while they chat with their friends in the small 15 minute window they have to eat. I just want them to eat something! I am talking snacks like; chips and guac, string cheese, carrots and ranch, a granola bar. No candy (unless its from an Easter basket or post-holiday treat). The success rate of them eating the food in this format has been much higher!

Lastly, and maybe the most important, my kids will eat an actual meal when they get home from school. At this point they are hungry and can actually sit and focus on eating. This is where more of the effort comes in to make sure they have what they need. Plus we are usually running out the door for sports so it’s the perfect time to fuel up.

This simplified process has evolved along with us as the kids grow and continues to work for us!

Ali, Book Aficionado from @The BookClubCart

At this point, my kids aren’t picky eaters, but they’ve all moved away from buying school lunch, so we pack lunches every day. We’re a “morning-of” family, which works best for us. Mornings feel busy, but it ensures everything is fresh and that the kids are involved in the process.

Because their lunch periods are so short, I’ve shifted my mindset over time. Instead of trying to pack a full traditional meal, I think of their lunch more as a “well-balanced, complex snack.” I aim to include a protein, a carb, a fruit or vegetable, and a small treat. Keeping it simple has been key to making this sustainable.

Lunch packing in our house is a shared responsibility. The kids know the staple items that make up their lunches, and they’re in charge of choosing and adding those to their lunchboxes. While they do that, I handle things like making sandwiches or cutting up fruits and vegetables. This system keeps things efficient while also giving them some ownership.

After school is when they eat something more substantial, closer to an actual meal before heading into activities. This has made a big difference in our routine. It helps prevent the constant snacking between school and dinner and ensures they’re getting what they need to stay energized through the afternoon.

At the end of the day, simple, consistent, and collaborative is what works best for our family when it comes to school lunches.

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How do you handle school lunches?