These fun lunch box ideas are brought to you by Mini Babybel®
I still remember the exciting element of surprise when I would open my lunch box as a little girl and survey its contents. I remember those sandwich bags with the fold-over tops that sent crackers spilling out if you picked them up the wrong way (I always wanted the more expensive zip locks that my friends had!). I remember telling my friends that my bagel with cream cheese was actually a donut with frosting in the 4th grade. I remember swapping sandwiches with my friend Brittney after Thanksgiving because her mom made the most amazing leftover turkey and mayo combination. And I have a vivid memory of opening my lunch box as a little girl and finding a hot pink, sparkly cat hair clip inside, hidden among grapes and a sandwich. Every-so-often my mom would put inedible surprises and notes in there, and those were the most special days.
Me at camp pickup: “Mazen, what did you have for lunch today?!”
Mazen: “Mommy you know. You packed it!”
^^ Nose kiss!
When packing Mazen’s lunches for camp this summer, I’ve been focusing on variety and trying to include the main food groups as well as fun finger foods and little treats. He eats a packed lunch most days of the week, so I don’t want him resorting to the bland or boring day after day and try to keep the meals as exciting as possible. One of my favorite snacks to include (and one of Mazen’s favorites too!) is Mini Babybel. Made with 100% real cheese, it’s a delicious and fun lunchbox idea.
Some of my favorite fun lunch box foods include:
- MiniBabybel® cheese (a-peeling in so many ways 😉 )
- Little pepperoni
- Fresh fruit like strawberries or a banana/apple
- Baby carrots with sunbutter or one big carrot (so he can “eat like a bunny”)
- Dried pea sticks (I count this as a vegetable 😉 )
- A mini kale salad (one of Mazen’s favorite healthy foods)
- Kids yogurt cups or frozen “popsicles” made from smoothies that halfway melt
- A handful of spinach leaves with a dip
- A slice of leftover pizza (which often includes a few vegetable toppings)
And, just like my mom did for me, every now and then I throw in an inedible surprise. This time it was a sheet of Minion stickers (because Mazen just watched that movie on our Bald Head car trip). I asked him if there was anything cool in his lunch that day and instead of his usual, “You know!” response, he was excited to tell me about his stickers. “I wonder how they got in there?!” I said.
My little camper is having a great time this summer! He’s been doing a variety of different camps to keep his weeks interesting, including two new ones this year. We tug on our invisible strings during the morning and through lunch, and then we have the afternoons to ride bikes or play in the pool!
For more tips on how to make lunch deliciously fun, make sure you check out Mini Babybel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
Thanks to Mini Babybel for sponsoring this post and keeping lunch boxes everywhere exciting! I am a brand ambassador this year, and all opinions are my own.Â
Christina @ montessoriishmom.com says
Aww, this is so sweet 🙂 My mom used to include little notes in my lunch sometimes too and I loved it so much!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
I loved lunches when I was in primary school. It’s always a yummy surprise what I’ll get from my parents.
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Amanda says
I also had zip lock envy as a child! Hilarious! I still get a weird satisfaction of packing things in a “fancy” zip lock now that I’m a mom.
lisa says
Haha I felt the same way as a kid. I always wanted the cool zip top bags, and yes as mom I only buy the zip top ones now.
Barbara Younger says
Ah. Glad you liked my sometimes surprises cause I know my sandwiches didn’t add up to Brittany’s mom’s. I’ll look for some trinkets for you to slip into Maze’s lunchbox in the coming year. Fun project for this grandma.
Karen says
Hey there! Great tips! My little guy is not quite ready for surprises yet, but I was wondering what pea sticks are?
KathEats says
They are these! We get them at Whole Foods or Target. Mazen likes the spicy ones the best.
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says
Awww how cute! I had to eat school lunch and sometimes my friends would switch with me those were the best days! Can’t wait to pack a lunch for my future kids ha ha
Edie says
Love this! That Curious George lunchbox is so cute. Mason is the luckiest 🙂
Edie says
Ah, Mazen*! Clearly, I haven’t had enough caffeine yet 😉
KathEats says
🙂 My voice text makes me write Mason by accident sometimes and I’m his *mother* getting it wrong!
Kimberly says
My boyfriend makes the lunches in the morning and he writes me lunch notes too!
KathEats says
Aw that’s sweet!!
Lauren says
Same thing here with the ziolocks! I think they were less common in the early 90s ? My mom started making lunch again when I was in High School and put a note sometimes, I loved it ?
I love packing my 4yo lunch for Preschool. He’s on a Sunbutter kick right now, so I try and mix it up with bananas, honey or jelly. Once in awhile, if we bake together, I throw a small treat in and his mind is blown! I also started writing notes on his napkin when he started school and he says he loves when there’s “love on his napkin”. It melts my heart!
ME says
My husband wrote a lunch note everyday for our daughter. She kept the note from her last lunch in high school that said how much he loved making her lunch for the past 12 years! Great dad.
KathEats says
So sweet!
Linda @ The Fitty says
Okay so I know baybel has this harder outer red skin right before the cheeses-is that edible> Because if they’re not…ooops.
KathEats says
HAha no that is wax!!
Tonya says
Linda, girl. You cray cray LOL! 🙂