I'm running very low on sleep this week, which generally means low on inspiration too - my brain doesn't function too well on anything less than 8 hours a night, and I've been getting far less than that recently. The lovely Small Baby has also decided that 5am is his new wake-up time, and nothing I try can persuade him otherwise! I am not a morning person at all, so as I'm sure you can image I am not impressed with this new timetable! Fortunately, the Yumbox, which I have been using a lot recently, takes a lot of the effort out of making lunches, in that all I have to do is find something to go in each of the labelled compartments - which is ideal on a sleep deprived morning when my brain is feeling sluggish!
In this lunch Small Child had a pile of poppy and sesame seed crackers, carrot disks, a mini Babybel cheese with a bear cut from the wax to decorate, a silicone cup full of frozen peas, which defrost by lunchtime (did you know that peas are a good source of protein? I'm trying to use less processed meat in our lunches and they were one of the alternative protein options that I offered Small Child), chunks of fresh mango and some Greek style natural yoghurt. I decorated the lunch with cute animal picks, a grass shaped silicone divider and an elephant pick, and used edible marker pens to draw a 'ZOO' sign on the top cracker. I finished the lunch off with a special treat of some mini gummy bears, and packed a spoon and fork from our mini bento cutlery set in his lunch bag.
Small Child ate everything apart from the peas and some of the yoghurt, which he finished off as a small snack after school. He had decided that he didn't like peas after all (despite choosing them to go in the lunch that morning) but they soon vanished after I suggested he play a game of 'how many peas can you pick up with the elephant'!
Grace
Items used to make this lunch:
Mel says
Hi Grace
I came across your story on the web.
I have been so inspired by your lunches that it has made me more conscious of what I pack for myself.
I am currently going through IVF and trying to eat healthier but find I pack the same thing every day.
After seeing your lunches I went and bought a bento yumbox. I know they're meant for kids but it's perfect.
Now I take to work carrot sticks, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, crackers, nuts, baby bell cheese, blueberries and a container of yoghurt goes with it.
It's enough to get me through the day and it means I'm eating a variety of foods.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Mel in Australia
Grace says
Hi Mel,
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I totally agree, healthy eating and lunches are not just for children. I try to make myself healthy lunches when I can and will be posting at some point about the bento snack boxes I've started keeping in the fridge to try to keep myself on the straight and narrow. I wish you all the luck in the world with the IVF, keep up the good work with the healthy eating!
Grace x
Madelein says
None of my kids like peas 😛
Wendy says
This lunch looks amazing! Love all your lunches actually!! Thanks so much for linking up with our packed lunch linky 🙂