Every September I enter lunchbox season with the confidence of someone who has never met my children.
I have vision. I have mini cutters. I have seen the TikToks. I will make a beautiful, balanced, colorful lunch that will be eaten with joy and gratitude.
Reader: it gets thrown away.
So over the years I’ve traded vision for strategy, and my strategy has one rule: make something they will actually eat. That’s it. That’s the whole philosophy.
What Actually Works
Repeat what works. When you find something they’ll eat, put it in the rotation and do not feel bad about it. My kids have turkey and cheese roll-ups approximately four days a week. They eat it. That’s a win. Variety is overrated when you’re also making a grocery list and running a company.
Build it like a charcuterie board. Small portions of multiple things — a little protein, a little fruit, something crunchy, something they love. When nothing touches, they’re happier. No idea why. Don’t fight it. Work with it.
The ‘fun thing’ rule. One thing per lunchbox that’s just for fun — a Babybel, a few Goldfish, a little treat. This is not bribery. It’s diplomacy.
Make it the night before. I know everyone says this. I know it. And yet there I am at 7am in a state of chaos. When I actually do it the night before, the morning is different. Do it the night before.
“Stop apologizing for easy. Lunchboxes don’t need to be elaborate. They need to be eaten. Easy, consistent, reliably liked? That’s great parenting, not lazy parenting.”
Lunchbox season can co-exist with your sanity. I promise. The star-shaped sandwiches are optional.
— Christa, Founder of Mommish
