Pack Your Lunches ONE Day a Week and Get Your Mornings Back!

If your kids are old enough to go to school, they are old enough to help with the lunch-packing process. By kindergarten, most kids are ready to start packing their own school lunches… they just need a system that sets them up for success.

That’s where my routine comes in. I’ve created a simple school lunch system that lets us prep and pack lunches once a week on Sunday. With everything ready to go, our weekday mornings run smoother, faster, and with far less stress. Trust me: if you want calmer mornings, this system is the key!

I’ve created a free printable to make the whole process easier while you are training your kids.  You can print it out and put it in a page protector. Use a dry erase marker to fill in the number of main courses, sides, and fruit & veggies.

Click here or on the image to download it

Once your kids get the hang of it, it will be so easy for them to pack their own lunches. But, at first, I’d suggest you take one child at a time, and do the whole process with them, from beginning to end. Then, gradually fade your involvement.

The training process may be messy and time consuming, but I promise you it will pay off down the road! If you get a lot of grumbling and complaining, that’s OK. Stay the course!! 🙂

Here is how it works…

Step 1: Do Your Lunch Prep on Sunday

I usually go grocery shopping sometime on Sunday, and when I come home, the real prep begins. I clean and cut up all the fruits and vegetables I bought. Yes, it takes a little time, but once it’s done, we’re set for the entire week.

To keep everything fresh, I store produce in these containers. They help fruits and veggies last longer, and I love that they stack neatly in the fridge — easy for kids to see and grab what they need.

While the kitchen is already messy, I’ll often bake a double batch of muffins. Half get frozen, and the other half go into lunchboxes or become after-school snacks. I usually do this every couple of weeks, and it saves me from scrambling when the kids want something quick and homemade.

My favorite and easiest way to make muffins is Trader Joes Pumpkin Muffin Mix. We throw in a few chocolate chips and my kids LOVE them!

I also take everything that comes in packaging out of their boxes and place them in clear containers in my pantry or refrigerator.

I have all my favorite School Lunch products in my Amazon Shop here.

Step 2: Involve the Kids in Packing their own Lunch

Each child has 5 bento boxes, and on Sundays they fill them for the entire week. Once packed, the boxes go straight into our spare refrigerator so they’re ready to grab each morning.

The kids use the fruits and vegetables I’ve already cleaned and prepped, and they also help with other items that last well through the week. For example, we stick to durable fruits like grapes and clementines that stay fresh for five days. When possible, they’ll even make and freeze sandwiches ahead of time. If something needs to be swapped mid-week, like a sandwich or fruit, it’s still much easier since most of the work is already done.

Over time, I’ve trained the kids to pack their own lunches. They know the system, they have the tools, and they’re responsible for filling their boxes. The best part? Because they’re the ones who packed the food, they’re much more likely to actually eat everything!

And while we still use some baggies, I’m slowly switching to all reusable containers. One of my new favorites is a line made by a local Annapolis mom, Nina’s Flying Needle. I love supporting small businesses while also cutting down on waste. 

Step 3: Keep Containers Organized

A system only works if everything has a home! All of our bento boxes, thermoses, and containers live in one dedicated cabinet. I store containers with their lids on so nothing gets lost, and I use bins to separate different sizes.

Because everything is organized, the kids can grab what they need without asking me where the lids are — and that makes the process run so much smoother.

I also love that our bento boxes are stackable. Once the kids finish packing their five lunches for the week, they neatly stack them in our spare refrigerator. No morning scrambling, no missing pieces, no “Mom, where’s my lunchbox?”

Step 4: Pack Ahead and Store for the Week

By Sunday night, all the heavy lifting is done. The kids’ bento boxes are packed for the entire week and waiting in the fridge. Each morning, they just grab a box, toss it in their lunch bag with an ice pack, and head out the door.

This step has been such a time saver. Even if I need to add a sandwich or swap in fresh fruit mid-week, the bulk of the work is already done. It’s also flexible enough to grow with us — when the kids were younger, I helped more with assembly. Now that they’re older, they’re completely independent.

Some of our family’s favorite easy combos:

• Turkey roll-ups + grapes + pretzels
• Mini pita sandwiches + hummus + carrot sticks
• Pasta salad + clementines + string cheese
• Muffins (from my Sunday baking!) + apple slices + popcorn

And we don’t just prep for the kids. I also make a few grab-and-go snack bags for me and my husband — things like carrots with single-serve hummus, cheese and crackers, or small bags of nuts. It’s amazing how much easier mornings feel when the whole family is set up with healthy snacks and lunches.

Step 5: Store Your Lunches the Smart Way

You can store your prepped school lunches in two different ways, depending on your space and what works best for your family:

• By Category: Store all of the same type of item together — chips, pretzels, fruit, yogurt, etc.
• By Child: Give each child their own bin with all their lunch items together.

It really depends on how much room you have in your refrigerator, pantry, and drawers. If your kitchen is on the smaller side, try adding a 3-tier rolling cart and filling it with lunch items, or use an over-the-door storage rack like I have.

Another part of our routine is snack prep. On Sundays, the kids fill baggies with their snacks for the entire week — 5 bags of pretzels, 5 bags of carrots, etc. Each child has their own space in the pantry and fridge for their snacks.

That way, in the morning, all they have to do is assemble:

1. Grab their snacks from the pantry.
2. Grab a bento lunch box from the spare fridge.
3. Grab their water bottle.

And that’s it. Lunches are ready in minutes, with no stress. 🙌

Bonus Resource: My Favorite School Lunch Book

If you want a deeper dive into school lunches and a one-stop resource for recipes, strategies, and inspiration, I highly recommend the cookbook A Guide to School Lunches by Brittney Hanks of Home & Kind.

It’s beautiful, easy to follow, and full of educational tips that complement the system I’ve shared here. Think of it as the perfect companion if you’re ready to take your lunch prep routine to the next level. Brittney also has several other books on her website – check them out!

Do you have any good lunch hacks or systems in your house? I’d love to hear!  Email me and let me know!

Happy organizing!

Susie

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