Hey Mama. It’s summertime. How’s your lunch routine going?
We eat a lot around here. With 5 kids someone is always hungry. While I’ve had dinners figured out for awhile, lunch somehow always got to me. I wouldn’t think about it until someone was STARVING, and then the mad dash to throw something together would ensue.
And then I realized, that just like I have a dinner routine, I could have a lunch routine. And it would take away not only the decision fatigue, but also the craziness of trying to throw something together and not being sure what was in the house.
So here is our simple lunch routine…I’m sure your family has favorites that you could easily incorporate to make your own. I can’t even begin to describe how much simpler this has made my days.
- Monday—Nachos Tray, made using whatever meat was leftover from Sunday’s dinner, sliced tomatoes and avocados
- Tuesday—Macaroni & Cheese with Sliced Fruit
- Wednesday—Quesadillas, using whatever leftovers available from Taco Tuesday dinner, sliced tomatoes and fruit
- Thursday—Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches and Apple Slices
- Friday—Hot Dogs, Potato Chips, Pickles and Orange Wedges (my kids favorite lunch of the week)
- Saturday—Leftover Lunch of whatever odds and ends need to be finished from the week
- Sunday—Coffee Hour at Church, or light snacks before our Family Sunday Dinner
And that’s how we do lunch around here. (Although many days, I’ll also heat up leftovers for myself and my husband from the night before.) It’s not revolutionary; in fact, it may even seem kind of boring—but knowing what I’m serving each day, and keeping lunch to around the same time each day has made life so much easier. I make sure when I do our grocery shopping that we have what we need in the house to make those lunches until the next time that I do the shopping. Our pantry is usually stocked with the same basics, and the kids seem to thrive on the routine of having a daily lunch schedule.
And of course, there are days when we switch it up. Today, after a VERY hot and sweaty morning of biking and playing outside, the kids asked for a “cool summer lunch”. I looked at what we had, sliced up some cheese, apples, and pepper strips, and served them a red and white charcuterie board with some homemade banana muffins that we had in the freezer. And I felt like I had the creative energy to do that because all the other days this week I didn’t have to think about lunch.
How do you attend to the daily task of lunch? Is lunch something you enjoy? Do you sit with your kids and eat lunch together?
#LunchIdeas
#WhatsForLunch
#LargeFamilyLogistics
#MealPlanning
#SchoolsOutForSummer
#SummerLunches
#KidsEat
#Rhythms
#Routines
Next Door Hope 