8 Tips for Creative School Lunch Packaging

Courtney RussellLast year, when I sent my kindergartener off to a tiny school with no food service, I braced myself as I unpacked his lunch box each day. I had heard stories during daily pickup of jilted PB&J's, leftover pizza ignored-- but my son? He was eating his lunch.

My smugness turned to discontent when a few months later I began to find his lunch tins were nearly as full as when I'd sent him off. Even when I'd introduce new foods, eventually he'd tire of them, and again, the lunch box would have that telltale weightiness.

This year, I've armed myself with some secret weapons to keep him interested in his lunches. Yes, I need to keep the foods interesting and varied. But, a little smoke and mirrors couldn't hurt either (see below for my strategies). Here's hoping for a first grade year with experiences, full -- lunch boxes, empty.

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Courtney Russell

Lunch Box Lineup

This is the dream team of lunch boxes -- no more worries about BPA, pthalates, lead and all that stuff. This lunch box from NeoGreen is roomy, but has enough structure to keep the containers from banging around. Stainless-steel food containers from Lunchbots and To-Go are durable and dishwasher safe. Organic cotton snack bags from Graze are a splurge, but you can finally do away with those gazillions of plastic bags. The spoon/fork/ knife combo from Light My Fire is funky fun, and unusual enough not to end up in someone else's lunchbox. (all available at reuseit.com)

Courtney Russell

Stack the Deck

Keep yourself from getting into a rut by printing your kid's favorite lunch box choices on index cards. Color code them for categories such as main dishes, sides and desserts.

Ours are rubber stamped, but the cards could also be printed on an ink jet printer. Laminate if desired (we did ours with a Xyron, but copy shops such as Kinko's could do it for you), punch with a hole punch, and place on a binder ring. Hang in a handy spot in your kitchen.

Courtney Russell

Business Casual

Office supplies work great in a lunch box, and most people have some on hand: Bulldog clips keep snacks closed tight; rubber bands secure lunch tins; office dots add pattern; vinyl letters describe....

Courtney Russell

In the Fold

Tiny origami creations can serve practical as well as aesthetic purposes. Use a 5-inch piece of patterned paper to create a holder for flatware or food. Use 2 1/2-inch paper to make small animals to keep your child company. Check out origamiclub.com for more ideas (hint: the creations are labeled by stars for difficulty level).

Courtney Russell

About Face

Sandwiches wrapped in kraft paper or butcher paper are the perfect canvas for creating funny faces. We used googly eyes, tiny pompoms, office dots and felt ricrac stickers, but crayons would work in a pinch. The pompoms and googly eyes are stuck on with scrapbooking dots.

Courtney Russell

Brand Loyalty

Enlist your child's help in making reusable labels for his containers. Have him draw his favorite foods in pencil and crayon, or use one of his doodles combined with simple text to create a "brand." Scan in the artwork, print on an inkjet printer, laminate (on a Xyron, or have a copy shop like Kinko's do it for you) and attach with scrapbooking dots. Remove labels before washing containers.

Courtney Russell

In Living Color

Add a little color to your kid's snacks by flipping miniature cupcake liners inside out (so the colored surface faces up) and lining containers with them.

Courtney Russell

Teachable Moments

Sneak a little learning into your kid's lunch. Arithmetic cards paired with tiny foods add up to impromptu math. Writing the name of a food on word strip Post-its introduces your child to new words.