School lunches...sending out an S.O.S.

photo source: ebay

Calling all you foodies and mothers (or fathers?)!! I am putting out my distress signal to gather ideas for (the dreaded) school lunches. Honestly, it is the thing I dread most about the kids returning to school! In fact, I awaken many mornings with the fear that I don't have sandwich fixings that my kids will like, have bad dreams about having no fruit in the house, and despise hearing the matter-of-fact declarations of "I'm not going to eat that!"

Honestly, does anyone out there enjoy making lunches?? I mean, I'm all about feeding my kids well, and making sure their meals are nutritious...but packing lunches? Well, it has me running for the hills!!

photo: www.parent.com

This is where you come in: I want to hear your best lunchbox ideas and creative ways you get your kids to eat them! The only rules are: no nuts allowed (they are banned in our schools to protect the innocent, as they should be), and are limited to what most kids actually eat (i.e. no hummus sandwiches, sushi, or edamame salads...). While your at it, I'd also love to hear about what you hated most about your own childhood box lunches (I have more than a few...can anyone say FLUFF sandwiches?). I would also love to hear how you make the process easier, more organized...

So, all of those readers who have never commented before because cooking/baking is more your thing, or all of you great mums who are too busy tending to your kids to actually comment on someone's blog...plunk Junior in front of the telly for a minute, and put down your cookbooks and help me!! I could use a little inspiration, and so could my poor kids!

In defense of my lunch-making skills, I sit writing this as the scent of freshly baked bread hangs in the air. That's right, all of those horror stories about the additives in store-bought bread has led me to haul out the bread machine. I put a loaf on while I tidy the supper dishes ( I use the dough setting, then bake it in the oven, for more authenticity), and have my family drooling each night while it bakes. Also, I have totally given up on processed sandwich meats. In Canada, we have had an expansive recall on sandwich meats made by the parent company, Maple Leaf Foods. Apparently, Listeria has created some (and reasonably so) hysteria, and Canadians everywhere are avoiding processed meats in droves, at least for the time being. Convenient? Especially at this time of year? No - but it has been a wake-up call of sorts for many consumers. Really, with all the nitrites in many of those meats, it is probably the perfect reason to get back to basics. So, another new routine is to cook a roast chicken, turkey or beef on a Sunday evening and make your own sandwich fixings throughout the week. Of course, we will soon tire of that, thus my dilemma!!

Do you see why I need additional help in planning my kids' lunches??

***Please send me the link to your best tip, as posted on your blog, and then tell your (grateful) readers to come on over here for the round-up of great lunch-making advice. Hurry now, the first full week of school is looming in front of many of us, and we sure could use the help!! I will post the links Monday for all to share. Go on...please...children everywhere will thank you!! If you don't have a blog, leave me a comment with your tip, and I will post those tips, too!