Back To School Lunch Prepping #DiscoverTEDDY

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School is almost back in session! And you know as soon as it is, the busyness of the season will soon set in. I personally love summer and having the kids home. It gives us more time to focus on the important things like making memories, teaching life lessons, playing outside all day, and family dinners.

Family dinners are one thing we tend to stray away from during the school year, unfortunately. With all of the after school activities, lessons, practices, and work schedules, it seems we never have a night where everyone is home for dinner!

While we may not eat all meals together, I can certainly have a say in what my family eats. We do that by packing the kid’s lunches for school everyday with smart choices and healthy foods- and I always throw in a treat! This year, all the kids are asking me about are TEDDY Soft Bakes when we stop by our local Fred Meyer, and they seemed surprised when I added several boxes to the cart. But let me bring you in on my secret: They have NO high fructose corn syrup, contain NO artificial flavors, and NO artificial colors! This is honestly perfect, since my oldest son actually has an allergy to artificial colors like Red 40. It is amazing to see there are fun options for him to enjoy too. These TEDDY Soft Bakes are also individually wrapped and perfectly portioned to be added in to their lunches, or enjoyed as a quick snack on the weekends.

Now, I am not even going to pretend that I get up every morning and pack everyone’s lunch from scratch! I actually have learned from last school year to prep and make ahead almost everything. I then let my kids choose what they eat from my selection, and be responsible for packing their own lunch- as long as it has each of the following:

• Main Item (sandwich, soup, or salad)
• Fruit
• Vegetable
• Drink (milk or juice)
• Treat

Here is how to set up this system in your own home! You will need:

• 3-4 Shoe box sized totes
• Mason jars
• Sandwich bags

The goal of this system is to make your kiddos feel like they have a choice in what they are packing, to try to give at least two options for each food category above. Every Sunday, I get in and portion out sandwiches, soups, fruits, veggies, and drinks. I place them in either sandwich bags or mason jars, and set them in the designated tote in the fridge. I also fill mason jars with drinks- this is a simple and reusable way to make sure they are getting something good in their body! Then you fill up the treat bin- ours is always stocked with plenty of Vanilla and Chocolate TEDDY Soft Bakes. To find out where you can purchase them, click HERE!

Every morning, all they have to do is select an item from each tote, add an ice pack, and we’re on the road! No more mess, no more scrambling to find bread I forgot to buy, and no more craziness before school (well, due to lunches at least!). What other back to school ideas or tips do you have? Leave them in the comments below!