What's for Lunch, Mom?

PB & J, the late, lamented lunchbox staple

Lunchbox debates can make or break your morning.  "What are you putting in my lunchbox?" is a familiar and frequent refrain around my house now that the  school year has mercifully begun.    You might think that as a food blogger I have a secret stash of lunchbox tricks that make my kids delighted to receive the lovingly prepared repasts that I carefully pack for them daily.  Would that it were so.  Sadly, neither of my offspring is inclined toward sandwiches, and that makes packing their lunches rather difficult.  As a result, I have been forced to become mighty creative   (and not always in a way that makes me proud.)  But when we started this blog we pledged that we would share our food adventures, warts and all (remember my rhubarb salsa debacle?).  Don't judge me too harshly; I often have to pack lunchboxes before I've finished my coffee, so leftover takeout can be a Godsend.


Some of my go-to items include:

• Kebobs, wrapped in foil.  Great source of protein, and the novelty factor of eating meat off a skewer is kind of cool.
• Thermos of leftovers (top hits include meatballs, chicken cutlets, mac and cheese, ravioli, pesto pasta, chicken curry, Chinese takeout).
• Thermos of soup--my daughter went on a miso kick for awhile.
• Container of tuna/chicken salad with crackers
• Quesadilla wrapped in foil.  If you wrap it while it's hot, it should retain a bit of heat by lunchtime.
• Pizza--yes, my kids do love cold pizza.  When we order, I always get an extra pie for lunchboxes.
• Cheese and crackers
• Container of Hummus with veggies and pita to dip.

What's in your lunchbox?