Lunchbox Ideas for Slow Eaters

Here’s the dilemma: we teach our kids to eat slowly. To chew carefully. But in the school lunchroom, there’s hardly any time! The message becomes “eat faster!” It’s confusing, right?

The lunchroom is a social place. It’s the only time of day that the kids reliably have to just sit and chill and chat. At recess, they want to run around or play in some way. But the lunchroom is a different kind of socializing. It makes sense to me that the kids aren’t solely focused on the food. My kids have about 20 minutes for lunch, which has to include the actual eating, conversations, bathroom field trips and getting settled or packed up, That feels jam packed to me!

If your kid is a slow eater, nutrient dense options are your best friend. Here are three lunchbox ideas that are high on the satiation scale and easy to eat in a busy environment. If you’ve got others to share, let me know!

1. Banana Rollups

These are big on flavor and filling at the same time. It has an entire banana (loaded with potassium), plus nut or seed butter for protein rolled up in a tortilla to make it easy and fun to eat.

To make Banana Rollups:
Lay out a tortilla and spread a thin layer of your favorite seed or nut butter on the entire surface. Place a whole, peeled banana on the bottom edge. Roll up the tortilla and use the seed/nut butter to seal the rollup. Place seam side down and slice into pieces.

Banana Sunbutter Rollups

2. Egg Muffins

Eggs are one of my favorite foods to pack in lunchboxes. Make a batch of egg muffins with some veggies and you’ve got a hearty, filling, veggie loaded situation!

To make Egg Muffins:
Combine 10 lightly scrambled eggs with 2/3 cup chopped veggies (cut into very small pieces), salt to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon) and (optional) 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Spray a muffin tin with avocado or vegetable oil and bake these in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes (or until cooked through). Makes 12.
Options:
Season with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic or chili powder for extra flavor.
Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped herbs, such as parsley or cilantro for an added flavor boost.

Egg Muffins

3. Pizza Rollups

I don’t know about you, but my kids inhale pizza. For my slower eater, pizza rollups are an insurance policy of sorts; Even if that’s the only thing that’s eaten, it’s got vitamin C from tomato paste, protein from cheese to keep them satiated, and carbs from the flatbread or naan to provide energy.

To make Pizza Rollups:
Lay naan or flatbread out on a baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of tomato paste. Note: I use tomato paste instead of sauce because it prevents sogginess. Sprinkle on shredded cheese and pop under the broiler for a minute or so, or until the cheese has melted. Optional: add fresh basil after removing from the oven. Let this sit for at least 5 minutes and then roll up and slice into pieces with a sharp knife.

If you make any of these and share them on Instagram, tag me @lalalunchbox #lalalunchbox

p.s. like these lunchboxes? Check them out on my Amazon shop.

Beating the Lunchbox Rut

It’s that time of year again…
The holidays feel long gone, the January slog is over, but there’s no end to lunchbox packing in sight. Enter: the lunchbox rut. If you’re feeling like you’re out of inspiration for packing that lunchbox, you are not alone. Here are some tips to getting over that hump and sailing through the end of the school year. If you find it helpful, share these ideas with others and tag me on Instagram when you post your lunchboxes using these ideas!

1. Don’t panic

   Lunchboxes don’t have to be new and exciting every day. Are there a handful of foods that your child loves? Do they eat those foods reliably and happily? There is absolutely nothing wrong with packing the same lunchbox ideas over and over. I think that parents get bored with the foods in their children’s lunchboxes faster than kids do. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel every day. Remember: a fed kid is most important.

2. Switch it up

   Adding things like lollipop sticks or food picks to the lunchbox can breathe new life into old foods. I buy lollipop sticks in bulk and use them for loads of foods in the lunchbox. When foods become kebabs, there’s renewed excitement! You can find the lollipop sticks that I buy here on my Amazon Shop. Some examples include:

fruit kebabs

sandwich kebabs

tortellini kebabs

3. Use Leftovers

Does your child have a favorite dinner? Pack it up for lunch! I often hear from parents that they don’t pack foods because they’re worried that their kids won’t eat them cold or room temperature. It’s a normal, understandable concern. Here’s how I handled that here: I serve dinner at room temperature from time to time. It sounds crazy, but hear me out… eating a meal at a different temperature at home made my kids much more open minded to eating it that way outside of my home. Bonus: this really comes in handy on those days when I need to make dinner in advance and then tend to a million things before actually serving dinner. Try this with your kids’ favorite foods first. Did my kids complain initially? Not really. They were happy to eat their favorite foods. The best examples of this strategy used in a lunchbox is with pasta and meatballs, or cold pizza. My kids now eat these dishes room temp or cold!

leftover meatballs and pasta

leftover pizza rollups

4. Involve your kids in lunchbox planning

I am all about this tip. My kids are actively involved in the decisions around what’s for lunch. They use the LaLa Lunchbox app (free to download for iOS here) to plan their meals in advance. There are no surprises when they open the lunchbox, and they love that. They decide what to eat and how much, but I decide what to make available for them, so I am always in control.

LaLa Lunchbox app

Have more questions about beating the lunchbox rut? Drop me an email or send me a direct message on Instagram. I’m happy to assist where I can!

5 Lunchbox Ideas with Eggs

*this post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase an item, I will receive a small compensation but that will not affect the price you pay in any way. Thank you for helping me to keep this blog going!

Eggs are a relatively inexpensive protein source that my family loves. Sometimes we go through phases where we’re eating 2 dozen/week, and other times, a dozen eggs can last ten days. Having a variety of ideas to use eggs in the lunchbox is a savior for me… it keeps the overall cost of packing lunches for my 3 kids down, and at the same time, keeps my kids interested.

I buy organic, pasture raised eggs and they cost about $6.50/dozen. It feels expensive sometimes, but when I actually think about it and tally, the reality isn’t so black and white. One dozen eggs can feed my family of 5 for one meal (usually with two eggs to spare). Actually, if I use a dozen eggs to make a big frittata loaded with veggies, it can last more than one meal. That’s pretty awesome! Comparatively, one chicken can feed my family too, but that’s way more than $6.50, especially because I buy organic chicken. I can make a big pot of black beans to serve with a DIY Taco Bar and that is less expensive than a dozen eggs, especially if I start with dried beans. But all things considered, when I approach grocery shopping from this perspective, $6.50 doesn’t feel offensively priced at all for a dozen eggs.

Anyway, eggs are easy to buy, easy to make and easy to love, in my humble opinion. Here are five new ideas for lunchbox packing that I’m sure you’re going to love!

1. COBB KEBAB

Cobb Kebabs

Cobb Kebab is exactly as it sounds - Cobb Salad, deconstructed on a lollipop stick and eaten like a kebab. Here we’ve got eggs, lettuce, chicken (use leftovers here!), avocado, bacon, tomato and cheese. Seriously delicious. Even my non-salad eating kid loves this one! The best part is that this can be customized to include any ingredients you’d like. Cobb Kebabs are also a great way to introduce salads to your kids for lunch. I use these lollipop sticks to create the kebab, and I love them because they have no dangerously sharp edges and are therefore safe for young kids.

This lunch is packed in my Planetbox Launch.

2. EGG & QUINOA STIRY FRY

Egg & Quinoa Stir Fry

Egg & Quinoa Stir Fry is made just like fried rice. But there’s no rice involved, and it’s not fried. I love using quinoa because it tastes great, but quinoa is a feel good food for me. Loaded with protein and fiber, it’s pretty dang amazing.

One batch of my Egg Quinoa Stir Fry contains:
4 large, scrambled eggs
3 cups cooked quinoa
1.5 cups cooked chopped vegetables
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons vegetable or neutral oil
salt to taste

I combine everything into a frying pan and sauté in oil until the flavors are thoroughly mixed. Simple. Delicious. Easy to make. Great for leftovers. Perfect for the lunchbox!

This lunch is packed in my Lunchbots Cinco.

3. EGG & CHEESE MINI SANDWICHES

Egg & Cheese Mini Sandwiches

As a New Yorker, egg & cheese is a classic breakfast sandwich combo. This is my riff on the classic New York Bacon, Egg & Cheese (affectionately called BEC) but I’ve omitted the bacon here, and used baguette in place of a hard roll to make mini sandwiches. Feel free to add the bacon back if you’d like!

To assemble, lightly scramble two large eggs in a pan with some unsalted butter. Set aside. Slice a baguette into rounds (I used whole wheat here) and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese (I used cheddar here) and pop under the broiler for a minute or two, or until the cheese is nice and melty. Remove from the oven, and add egg to make mini sandwiches. That’s it! Easy peasy!

This lunch is packed in my Planetbox Rover.

4. BAKED EGG ROLLS

I am in love with this lunchbox idea. I make them on weekends for my kids, and finally the idea dawned on me to send them in the lunchbox. Here’s how to make the magic happen here:
Hollow out two rolls and place a raw egg inside each hole. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for approximately 30-35 minutes. The egg will be fully cooked - aka, no runny yolks, so if you’re looking for a runny yolk, cook it for less time. My kids bite into these like they would an apple, and because the yolks are baked to creamy perfection, and not runny, it won’t be a drippy mess at school.

This lunch is packed in my Lunchbots Cinco.

5. CHUNKY EGG SALAD WITH DILL (MAYO FREE)

Chunky Egg Salad with Dill (no mayo)

I love egg salad, but I don’t love mayo. For this chunky-style egg salad, cook the eggs for seven and a half minutes, submerge them in an ice bath and peel them once they’ve cooled. Chop them into chunks and place in a bowl. My general rule of thumb here: for every two eggs, add 1.5 teaspoons of chopped fresh dill. Add 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and salt to taste. Feel free to add mayo if you enjoy it! Serve with toast or pita to assemble a sandwich, or eat it as is.

WHY I BUY PASTURE RAISED ORGANIC EGGS

I’ve been buying organic eggs for as long as I can remember. At some point, I started noticing labels like cage free, free range and pasture raised. I didn’t understand the difference, so I made my purchases mostly based on price. After visiting egg farms in Kentucky with the Feedfeed and Handsome Brook Farm, my eyes were opened.

Handsome Brook Farm works with 75 farms across the United States to produce pasture raised, organic eggs. Pasture raised means that each hen has 108.9 square feet each to roam outdoors and forage. (That’s 400 hens per acre of land). The space enables the hens to live in a non-competitive environment and live stress-free lives because of it. These eggs are organic, which means that both their feed is organic and and the land that they roam is organic. Both mean that the feed and the land are not sprayed with traditional pesticides and herbicides, and there are no antibiotics or growth hormones used.

Because there are no antibiotics used, keeping the flock healthy is critically important. There’s never just one sick hen. Operations management for hen health is taken very seriously, to protect both the overall health of the flock and the livelihood of the farmer. They live symbiotically in this way.

Comparatively, Cage Free and Free Range denote the space available on the farm for hens. Cage free literally means that the hens are not placed in cages, but it does not specify much else about the hens’ quality of life. Unless a label says Pasture Raised, it is unlikely that the hens will have even remotely close to 108 square feet each. Free Range means that the hens have outdoor access and at least 2 square feet each. It doesn’t specify much more beyond that.

Marketing jargon can be dizzying, and becoming an informed consumer is empowering. If you want more information about Handsome Brook Farm, hop over to their FAQ.

Huge thanks to Handsome Brook Farm for including me on the farm visit and for sponsoring a week’s worth of egg ideas for the lunchbox.

Easy, Homemade Falafel

All hail the mighty falafel!

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and bursting with zingy flavors, falafel is something that I can eat on repeat. Chickpeas, parsley and cilantro are a stellar combination, and when you add spices and garlic, it’s heavenly. Seriously, what’s not to love about this Middle Eastern staple? Budget-friendly, delicious, filling — falafel hits all the notes!

While in Israel this summer, I had falafel every single day. Pretty sure that eating deep fried anything is not sustainable in the long term, but wow did it make me happy! You can use my recipe below to pan fry or air fry falafel; no deep frying necessary. I’ve tried these baked, but I find them too dry, so there are no baking instructions included.

The key to great falafel - as I discovered in my recipe testing extravaganza - is to use raw chickpeas from dried beans that have soaked at least 12 hours. I’ve soaked them for fewer hours, and the recipe works, but I find them tastier when they’re soaked longer. This recipe is perfect for family dinner, lunchbox packing, entertaining, and for feeding folks who are vegan, dairy free and nut free.

I tried making falafel from canned beans and while I really wanted it to work, the texture was off. To me, falafel should have a slightly grainy texture, and that wasn’t coming through with canned beans. Dried, uncooked beans have the starchy quality that helps to hold the shape of the balls.

While falafel are tastiest when hot and freshly cooked, I pack these in lunchboxes for my kids and eat them cold myself. My preference is to eat them with tahini mixed with water, lemon juice, garlic and salt, tucked inside of a pita with pickled red onion, hot sauce, lettuce and tomato. That said, I’ve been known to eat them happily with just tahini sauce and pita or lettuce. Anything goes! If you make this recipe, let me know by tagging me on Instagram!

Falafel

1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked at least 12 hours)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried coriander
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
3/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
Neutral oil for pan frying or for brushing on top in the airfryer

Method

Place the dried chickpeas in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for at least 12 hours. If you soak for longer than 12 hours, replace the water. The chickpeas will have grown substantially.
Place chickpeas into a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped, taking care not to over process.

Add the garlic and spices and pulse again.

Next, add the cilantro and parsley. The mixture will have a lovely green color when pulsed.

Scrape down the sides and add the lemon zest, lemon juice, water and baking powder and pulse again.

Finally, add the flour and combine using a spatula.

Let this mixture rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Form into 2 inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

To air fry: place in the air fryer at 360 F for 15 minutes.
To pan fry: heat neutral oil (I used avocado oil) in a dutch oven on medium high heat. When the oil is hot, place falafel in and pan fry (turning occasionally) until golden brown all around. Cooking time is approximately 6-8 minutes per batch, but time may vary according to the size of the balls. If the falafel are burning, turn the heat down.

Makes approximately 20 balls.

Ready to make falafel

Frankly, I prefer these pan fried to air fried, but I realize that air fried makes them healthier. Still, these are simply chickpeas, herbs and spices, so either way I feel good about what I’m eating.

falafel lunchbox

S'mores Brownies

It’s peak S’mores Season now but with this S’mores Brownie recipe, you can channel that campfire beachy feeling all year round! I’ve tinkered with this recipe so many times, and my kids have been bombarded with various s’mores brownies all summer. No surprise, this makes them ridiculously happy.

I’ve made this with marshmallows, with store bought fluff and homemade fluff and I have to be honest, the homemade fluff is my favorite. The fluff recipe I followed is from The Kitchn and while I’ve literally never purchased or cooked anything with corn syrup before, it was worth it to make this fluff myself. Once I bought that and a candy thermometer, the fluff recipe took 20 minutes from start to finish.

Homemade marshmallow fluff

Once the fluff was made, I went to work on the brownies. The base of the brownie recipe is one that I can make in my sleep at this point. It’s a tried and true favorite around here. To assemble the S’mores Brownies, I add half the batter to the bottom of a lined 8x8 pan, add a layer of graham crackers and top those with the remainder of the batter. The batter is thick, so using your fingertips to spread the batter on top of the graham cracker layer is best. (see the full recipe below)

Once you’ve spread that evenly, it’s time to add the marshmallow fluff. I used just under 1 cup of fluff in each batch, but you can use more or less depending on how “fluffy” you like your s’mores. I like to sprinkle the top with graham cracker crumbs for two reasons: it makes the graham cracker flavor come through more and it makes these easier for my kids to hold.

Another alternative is to swirl in the fluff with the top layer of brownie batter. Both methods are equally delicious!

S’mores Brownie with swirled fluff

Once these are baked, let them cool completely before cutting them with a super sharp knife. I prefer to serve these in small sizes, so an 8x8 pan makes 25 brownies for us.

S’mores Brownies

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)

• heaping 1/4 teaspoon flaked salt

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup ap flour (sub with oat flour to make gluten free)

• 6 full graham crackers, divided

• 1 cup marshmallow fluff (I used this recipe but you can purchase this already made)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add cocoa powder and salt and stir until all lumps are gone. Stir in vanilla, eggs and flour and mix with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth and thick. Spread half of the batter into the pan. 

Add one layer of graham crackers on top of the batter. This will use 4 1/2 graham cracker sheets. Crumble the remaining 1 1/2 graham crackers into a small bowl and save for later.

Add the remainder of the batter to the top of the graham crackers and use your hands or the back of a spoon to spread evenly on top.

Top with marshmallow fluff and finally graham cracker crumbs.

Bake for approximately 28-33 minutes or until the brownies have set. Let cool completely on a rack. Cut into 25 squares and watch them disappear. 

If you simply can’t decide between S’mores Brownies and traditional s’mores, put together a platter! If you make these and post them on social media, don’t forget to tag @lalalunchbox and #lalalunchbox

S’mores Board