Lunch Box Love

Lunchbox dread, it is a familiar feeling that comes over me whenever I start to contemplate the return to school. Upon first consideration,   it would seem that the anxious reactions lunch boxes  provoke in me are somewhat disproportionate. However,  lunchbox pressure is acute when you factor in

a) one child who eats barely anything

b) the pressure to feel as though you are providing your children with adequate fuel for the brainpower and energy needed to survive the school day 

 c) the never-ending cry of "but everyone else has ….  insert brightly colored packaged highly processed food  everyday, we are the ONLY ones who don't have that" .

Many a morning I have stood at the kitchen bench struck down by lunch box inertia unable to find anything worthy of putting inside the dreaded box. At the end of last year I decided we needed to mix things up a bit and try some new things. I ordered some supplies from here  You might be able to find similar products locally but I couldn't,  I am sure  it is just a matter of time though.

One of the things  I can put into the lunch boxes with a guaranteed no return was a fruit pouch. But these are really expensive, coming out at around $1 a pouch. Buying reusable pouches has cut the cost drastically and has the added benefit of no preservatives being added to the fruit and using what is abundant and free/cheap. So far we have used a combination of pears and plums from our trees and seasonal berries. 

These have been a BIG hit and have come home every day empty, success.

The other purchase was  these reusable silicone tube, at the end of last year I had gotten into the habit of buying yogurt tubes from the Collective which are delish, but again expensive. With these tubes I fill them with homemade yogurt ( easiyo) and some fruit puree, whizz them in the blender and freeze. The success of these has been unprecedented in my kitchen, they are requested both in the lunch box where they unfreezish by break time to a thickish smoothie texture but are probably most enjoyed after school as a solid frozen treat.

Our most favorite combination so far has been banana yogurt with pear, blueberry and vanilla puree. 

Yes all of this is quite a bit of faffing about, when I was up to my elbows in fruit puree in a hot February kitchen last week I did think to myself remind me exactly why I am doing this again. 

But, good food is important to us in our family, as is being cost effective. We were already making our own yogurt, I think the rest of the preparation will become more of a habit and feel slightly less onerous. And  early morning standing in the kitchen when lunchbox fatigue has threatened to overcome me, only to suddenly remember I have these lovelies lurking in my fridge and freezer it has felt like the effort was VERY worth it. Long may it last.