Lunch Box

[tellytubby]

When do you pack your kids lunch box?

The morning before school, or the night before school??

I do mine the morning of, in fear the food will go crappy. But I'm curious to hear everyone elses thoughts..

[feeb]

I try and do kids lunch for occasional care the night before when I can, but often to lazy, tired, busy and do it in the morning why they eat breakfast.

[Astrid]

I put together the lunch box in the morning. I prefer fruit to be cut then, rather than the night before. I do a lot of prep on the weekend though. I freeze the sandwiches for the week, along with freezing batches of muffins, zucchini slice etc.

[AndiE]

We do our kids daycare lunchboxes the afternoon/evening before. I make sure I don't put anything potentially soggy in their sandwiches, but the rest keeps well as long as anything cut (cheese slices etc) are wrapped in gladwrap etc. For us, it would be too much of a rush to leave it till the morning. ETA: I'm another who freezes things so they are handy to put in the lunchbox. Makes the process just that bit easier

[feeb]

I put together the lunch box in the morning. I prefer fruit to be cut then, rather than the night before. I do a lot of prep on the weekend though. I freeze the sandwiches for the week, along with freezing batches of muffins, zucchini slice etc.

If cutting apple I wont do it till morning, but I tend to send them to OCC with bannanna as no need to risk loosing a container!!

[tellytubby]

I put together the lunch box in the morning. I prefer fruit to be cut then, rather than the night before. I do a lot of prep on the weekend though. I freeze the sandwiches for the week, along with freezing batches of muffins, zucchini slice etc.

Astrid, freeze sandwiches? What fillings do you use? Do you cut them, or do they remain whole (cut crusts & in triangles) ?

[Mother Goose]

I leave at 6am and only get up with enough time to shower, do my hair, and make food to eat in the car...DH doesn't do DD's lunch so I do it before I go to bed...

[Astrid]

Boring fillings here. DD1 is happy with ham & cheese, or chicken & cheese. Sometimes I will grate cheese and carrot, then mix with some mayo. I slice the sandwichs just in half, same with rolls.

[Nai]

I do it in the morning but I do mine, dp's and dd1's in a production line so I'm getting pretty slick a it!

[*Ang*]

Another one who does it here in the morning. I find that if you do it the night before and cut the sandwich/roll the edges go dry no matter how you wrap them.

I also have a production line happening and find it really quick and easy to do. I do freeze a lot of muffins, carrot cake, pikelets etc so I just grab one of those from the freezer.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

If I'm at work next day - at night. Too little time in the morning. If I'm not at work, in the morning.

DS has ham and cucumber sandwiches, a drink of water and an apple. He balks if I try to change anything, and extra food doesn't get eaten. I used to be able to do all sorts of sandwiches, sausage rolls, scotch eggs, spring rolls, samosas, carrots and hummous... hoping when he settles down at his new school we can go back to exciting lunches!

[JLeigh29]

I make sandwiches on the day, but will pack things that won't age/go off the night before e.g. grapes, sultanas, sliced cheese, water bottle, boiled egg. I make and freeze a lot of things so will usually put them in the fridge to thaw the night before (scones, muffins, biscuits, vege slice, pike lets). Mostly fruit gets cut on the day so it doesn't get soggy or brown. I try to make the lunchbox packing as quick and easy as possible.

[forshelby]

Kindy lunches are made the night before here. Usually while cooking dinner because I want to maximise my butt to couch contact time after work.

I send a lot of food with him because he likes the royal sampler, as I call it. Banana, apple puree, yoghurt, finger sandwiches, cheese and a couple of arrowroots are the staples. I like to challenge him though by adding a container of dinner's sidedish (salad, pasta, rice etc) and a 'new' fruit. Like a strawberry, or some pieces of pawpaw. Most of the time the challenge foods get thrown on the floor........... but it's the thought that counts, lol.

He's a very fussy eater, so breakfast is always on the go. I give him a variety of muesli bars/rusks/ anything I can trust him with in the car while I do the 30min drive to kindy. Me, I don't get to have my breakfast until I'm at my desk. Yesterday it was dry cereal, eaten with my bare hands like some kind of rabid animal. I don't think I'll keep this pregnancy a secret at work for long if I keep eating strangely like that! Today's lunch included pickles, which I licked all the vinegary goodness off before eating. But I digress!

Can I just summarize and say: The night before?