Pocket worthyStories to fuel your mind

How to Lighten the Lunch-Packing Mental Load

Make-ahead ideas that don’t require hours of prep, a trick for preventing soggy sandwiches, and an argument for school lunch.

Pocket Collections

Read when you’ve got time to spare.

School is back in session—are you already sweating at the prospect of coming up with a healthy lunch for your kid that they’ll actually eat... daily? First, take a beat and consider the option of retiring from lunch-packing duties—even for a few days a week. After that, challenge yourself to get your child more involved in their own meal prep, brush up on kid-friendly foods that don’t need an icepack, and arm yourself with easy hacks to keep those sandwiches dry, bananas bright yellow, and water bottles from sweating through the bag.

Image by dashek/Getty Images

Why I Retired From Packing Lunch

Virginia Sole-Smith
Burnt Toast

Kids don’t need squash cut into star shapes in their $60 stainless steel (not dishwasher safe!) lunchbox to know they are loved. They can eat off cafeteria trays and still get into a good college, or at least not grow up to be serial killers. #TeamSchoolLunch forever.