How Dads Pack a School Lunch

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HorizonLunch #CollectiveBias

In most families, I’m guessing mom or maybe even the kids pack school lunches. In our family, I pack the school lunches!

See, I leave for work before my kids are even ready to leave for school.  That means my wife is left with all the chaotic beauty of preparing breakfast, brushing teeth, picking out clothing, gathering school materials, and prodding the kids into the car in the hopes of making it to school on time.  The least I can do is make lunch.

It’s really important to me that I provide my kids with good nourishment for their body, but I also want them to know that I’m always thinking of them even when we’re apart.  Once Lydia started kindergarten last year, I got into the habit of writing her notes that she would find in her lunchbox.  Besides reassuring her that Daddy loved her and missed her and was thinking of her, it was also a sneaky way for me to get her to practice her emergent literacy skills.  But I can’t lie – my own rush to make a good lunch for the kids while simultaneously trying to make it out the door sometimes prevented me from getting the notes into the bag.  I had to find a way to save myself some time.

Solution?  Pre-made lunch notes!

These FREE Printable Dad Lunch Notes are the perfect addition to any school lunch.

When I’m running behind but still want to make the kids smile during the day, I just print these Dad Lunch Notes on card stock, cut around each note, and add one to a balanced school lunch.

I can’t tell you how much time these notes can save.  But sometimes, I’m still rushed.  And, unfortunately, sometimes the quickest, easiest options for kids’ lunches aren’t the best quality. I try to include the freshest ingredients possible.  They should be a good mix of protein, fruits and veggies, dairy, and a snack that serves as a “treat” to my kids – preferably, a “treat” I feel good about giving them, like Horizon™ Apple Fruit Clusters.  With only four ingredients, I feel confident that the Apple Clusters help me to pack a good lunch my kids will enjoy (and actually eat)!  The Horizon™ Apple Fruit Crunchers are just as simple and delicious – they’re made with organic dried apples…and nothing else.

Don’t forget to pack something to wash down all that good food!  Other than lemonade, my kids’ favorite non-water option has almost always been chocolate milk.  Flavored with organic cocoa, packed with 8 grams of protein, and made without HFCS, the Horizon Single Serve Chocolate Milk Boxes are a perfect calcium-rich change-up for my kids’ lunches.  Perhaps best of all is that these boxes are shelf-stable, which is just a fancy way of saying that you don’t have to refrigerate them.  That’s great because our fridge is usually jam-packed!

Once you’ve picked the best stuff to make your kids’ bellies smile, pick just the right note to make their face smile, too.  With lots of options ready to go, you can decide which note would be best for each day.

Now your kid’s lunch is good to go, and you can leave (on-time) knowing you’ve helped make the morning routine go a little more smoothly and efficiently for your family!

Head to Walmart to purchase Horizon Milk Boxes (I located them down the cereal aisle) and line of snack products (down the fruit snack aisle), and you can pack quick, delicious lunches that show your children just how much you love them!

What are your suggestions for packing school lunches?

Need more ideas to encourage good eating habits for your kids? Check out this fun video!