Burritos are an great way to pack a filling lunch in an easy to eat package that can be held in one hand and eaten pretty quickly. I try to think of things that can be eaten quickly and easily, as I am sure you are well aware that most schools have a pretty limited amount of time for lunch. I also try to pack things that aren't super messy, and when rolled tightly and not over filled, burritos can be eaten with very little mess.  It's one of the few things that all of my kids love. We have some form of "taco tuesday" every week, so it's even easier to make burritos when you already have leftover refried beans and taco meat in your fridge. 

On Sundays I am trying to clean out my fridge, and pack up any remaining leftovers for lunches on Monday.  Mondays are full days and I am finding that I run out of time and energy to pack Tuesday's lunches and I haven't been getting them packed ahead of time. So if I can get Tuesday's lunch packed on Sunday then it makes my Tuesday morning much easier.  And this Tuesday we have an all school rollerskating field trip, and I made the mistake of promising the kids that I would try to come on all of their field trips this year. After that I'll probably be drinking instead of packing lunches, so I figured I should just go ahead and pack Wednesday's lunches as well.

Wednesday is our breakfast for lunch day, and muffins make such a perfect and easy breakfast for lunch.  Even though this recipe has chocolate chips, it's still healthy enough that I think it's a great lunch choice.  With whole wheat flour, plenty of fruit, and no refined sugar, it's a great balance of sweet enough for them and healthy enough for me.  I love having this kind of thing made for lunch. Paired with a little fruit and a little protein, it's an easy lunch. 

Well, this was not my original idea.  Usually on Tuesday I like to do some kind of lunchable or snack box.  But I went to make lunches last night and found myself without crackers.  I'm not sure how that happened, because I'm usually pretty on top of my inventory, but oh well. Sandwiches are always an easy backup. I got out some of my fun sandwich cutters to make them into fun shapes - so there really is never just an 'ordinary' sandwich around here.

I am constantly trying to think of new and different ways to present the same foods.  If you look at my lunches closely, you'll see that the foods are repeated a lot.  But even so, the lunch basically never looks exactly the same twice. Taking an ordinary food and just presenting it differently can make it seem like something totally new. 

This is just leftover cheese pizza.  I cut it in bite size pieces and put them on little skewers. It was quick and easy and I think makes it fun.

With no advance planning, I am just trying at the last minute to throw a little last bit of Halloween into the lunches.  Pumpkin shaped sandwiches with my pumpkin cookie cutter and a few picks for eyes. The little oranges that look like little pumpkins. And the Halloween wrappers on the cheese make it easy.  

I'm trying to get my Halloween on!  This is actually the first time this year that I've broken out any of my cutters. I got a big pumpkin shaped cookie cutter at the grocery store last month, and it's the perfect size for the lunch box. That, along with a few letter cutters just pressed part way into the quesadilla, and I had a Halloween lunch done in about 5 minutes.

ou know, breakfast for lunch.  It's Wednesday of course.  I have a schedule to follow. Bagels are always a favorite, and they're easy and quick to put together. Today I just cut them a little different and stuck the pieces on a skewer. The mini bagels are a perfect size for lunches. Add a little protein and a little fruit, and I'm just about good to go. I got a big bag of the little oranges at Costco last week, they are really juicy and sweet.

I like routine, and for me that includes following a meal plan.  For lunch I just follow a schedule that helps keep me on track.  And according to that schedule, Tuesday is "lunchables" day, or what I loosely define as just a snack box - crackers and other little things to nibble one. I usually just start by filling the box with little containers, and filling the containers until I've got what I think is a balanced meal.  This week I went with a gluten free cracker, not because I had to, but because we love these crackers.  They are made by Milton's and we get them at Costco.  They are crunchy and salty - just what crackers should be.