Fast-Track School Lunch Making For Chaos-Free Mornings
Your weekday mornings are sure to become less hectic with dedicated drawers and baskets for lunchboxes and accessories
With the kids back to school, it’s back to the daily grind of preparing school lunches. I am not fond of the food available at school and, like many parents, prefer packing the children’s lunches myself. Admittedly, the seemingly simple process has caused me endless grief, what with the mishmash of lunchbox materials strewn all over our kitchen. It’s like a bad comedy played out every weekday morning, wherein I’m running around in my robe trying to find all the carelessly placed pieces. But no more…
Space is key
We’d all be so lucky if we had this pantry to work with every morning. Heck, each child could have a shelf dedicated to his or her own lunchbox and accessories.
For many of us this may not be possible, but the key ingredients here are the tall, open shelves and sliding baskets. The shelving height accommodates a variety of lunchbox and water bottle heights, as well as tall cereal boxes so they can stand upright.
Sliding baskets of varying sizes are great for wrangling water bottle caps, Tupperware tops, paper bags and plastic lunch bags. The best feature of this pantry, though, is its ability to be closed off.
We’d all be so lucky if we had this pantry to work with every morning. Heck, each child could have a shelf dedicated to his or her own lunchbox and accessories.
For many of us this may not be possible, but the key ingredients here are the tall, open shelves and sliding baskets. The shelving height accommodates a variety of lunchbox and water bottle heights, as well as tall cereal boxes so they can stand upright.
Sliding baskets of varying sizes are great for wrangling water bottle caps, Tupperware tops, paper bags and plastic lunch bags. The best feature of this pantry, though, is its ability to be closed off.
Organisation is everything
But let’s say there isn’t an abundance of space in your existing kitchen. Or the space can’t be closed off. In either of these cases, baskets are a great remedy for keeping lunchboxes and their accoutrements in one contained place.
Baskets allow clean but still damp containers to dry overnight. Even if you don’t have time to wash out lunchboxes every day, mildew won’t grow as quickly in open spaces.
But let’s say there isn’t an abundance of space in your existing kitchen. Or the space can’t be closed off. In either of these cases, baskets are a great remedy for keeping lunchboxes and their accoutrements in one contained place.
Baskets allow clean but still damp containers to dry overnight. Even if you don’t have time to wash out lunchboxes every day, mildew won’t grow as quickly in open spaces.
Keep it pretty
If you’re working with open shelving, disguise its utilitarian purpose with a background that’s calming amidst the lunch prep chaos. Designer and Houzz contributor Charmean Neithart added this soothing print from Joseph Abboud for Kravet behind floating custom shelves.
Fruit stored farmer’s-market-style provides pops of colour against the quiet blue-grey backdrop.
If you’re working with open shelving, disguise its utilitarian purpose with a background that’s calming amidst the lunch prep chaos. Designer and Houzz contributor Charmean Neithart added this soothing print from Joseph Abboud for Kravet behind floating custom shelves.
Fruit stored farmer’s-market-style provides pops of colour against the quiet blue-grey backdrop.
Pullouts are priceless
If you’re renovating a pantry to suit your lunch prep needs, consider adding pullout wire racks. Like baskets, they allow lunch components to dry out overnight. Unlike baskets, they let you see everything without any obstructions. There’s no losing Tupperware tops in any recesses.
YOUR SAY
What do you put in your child’s lunchbox? Share your ideas in the Comments!
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If you’re renovating a pantry to suit your lunch prep needs, consider adding pullout wire racks. Like baskets, they allow lunch components to dry out overnight. Unlike baskets, they let you see everything without any obstructions. There’s no losing Tupperware tops in any recesses.
YOUR SAY
What do you put in your child’s lunchbox? Share your ideas in the Comments!
MORE
De-Stress Your Kids by Organising Your Home
Rainy Day Kids’ Activities to Save Your Sanity
10 Ways to Transform Your Backyard Into a Kids’ Adventure Zone
Rollout trays allow me to retrieve lunch prep materials, including newly purchased lunchboxes that we’ve paired with old (and still working) components from last year’s. Our stainless steel collection has served us well over the past four years of school lunches, and will continue to do so for years to come.
The bottom drawer contains my backup supplies for when the children inevitably leave their lunchboxes at school.
I’m happy to say that I’ve finally learned to use only items that can go in the dishwasher every night or, in the case of these lunch bags made of wet-suit material, in the washing machine at the end of the week.