Moms, let’s be honest. These past 6 months have been nothing short of confusing and a mixed bag of all things crazy. Some of us have found comfort in family time and being at home, but the school year is upon us!
This school year is going to be different. Some of us are distance learning, some are sending kids five days a week, some are going hybrid where students go to school a few days and work from home a few days. No matter what, we are all in the same boat, and that is making sure our kiddos are well cared for and have everything they need to succeed in their upcoming school year.
I began thinking about lunches and how I will best pack my kids (who are going to school most days) an easy and nutritious lunch. I needed everything to be easy to open and fast to make the night before. I had a little nostalgia thinking back to packing lunch with my mom when I was a child. She would often make me a sandwich with some type of deli meat and cheese. I remember her asking me to peel the cheese wrapper off - I loved when she would ask me to do this. It was my job to unwrap my Kraft Singles cheese slice and place it on my sandwich. It made me feel like a super helper and when I grabbed my lunch out the next day, I knew that I had helped make it.
Fast forward to lunch making and packing with my own children. I will have two in school and one toddler who will still help us pack something for her to take to Nana’s periodically. My kiddos love helping choose items to pack in their lunches! I recently ran by Walmart to start my back to school lunch prep. I grabbed Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey, which is my 10 year-old’s favorite, and Kraft Singles cheese! My two boys love unwrapping the cheese just like I did as a child. How sweet it is to carry on the same tradition of packing lunches together.
We did a practice run for making lunches last week. My boys were excited to see some new routines we would implement to make school day prep easier. We quickly made a yummy lunch with Deli Fresh Turkey and Kraft Singles cheese. My kids took the turkey and rolled the cheese inside. None of my kids are huge bread eaters, so these “rolls” are perfect for them! We added some fruit and something crunchy, water, and done! This was so easy and they were pleased! We took this prepping time and turned it into a teachable moment. Kids will feel more independent if you let them help or create their lunches (with guidance of course). Kraft Heinz and Walmart have so many wonderful options to make lunch easy to access, kid-friendly and delicious!
Let me tell you about another yummy thing we discovered years ago. Bagel Bites are our go-to for the weekends and days off from school! These are perfect for the kiddos who will be home part time or who are learning virtually! These little flavor-filled bites are delicious and my kids LOVE them! One of my boys loves the cheese and the other loves the pepperoni. We keep them in our freezer for an easy weekend snack. In the midst of weekend projects or errands, warming these up is the easiest thing we can do. Pair it with fruit and/or veggies and you have a delicious little meal! Yum! They are also easy for kids who may be home and want a quick snack so they can take a much-needed break from studying. Win Win!
If you are looking for easy ways to pack and make lunches this year, head to Walmart and check out the multitude of options Kraft Heinz offers. The things I grabbed like Bagel Bites and Deli Fresh Turkey are going to help us make lunches easy and carefree. Here’s to the 2020-2021 school year, moms and dads!
Macaroni Kid is proud to partner with Kraft Heinz for this campaign. The author has been compensated with cash and product for their time but all opinions are their own.
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