How to pack school lunches faster

Getting everyone out the door in the morning with a healthy packed lunch can be slow for most families. Try our ideas to help you save time.

Planning ahead can save you time in the morning. You can use our fun and interactive Healthy lunch box builder – it’s not just for kids. You can print or email packed lunch boxes which also helps with shopping. If you prefer something printed to put on the fridge, use our weekly lunch box planner.

Planning and preparation save time:

• Buy snack sized veg that don’t require cutting e.g. cherry tomatoes, baby cucumbers and snow peas.
• Keep some shelf-stable items like corn or rice thins, canned fruit in natural juice, canned tuna or salmon, baked beans and milk poppers in the pantry.
• Spend some time preparing freezer-friendly lunch box items such as fruit loaf or savoury muffins. 
• Packaged snacks can be convenient, however, it’s important to know which ones to buy. Here are our top 8 healthy packaged snacks to grab-and-go when time is low.
• Make a loaf of sandwiches with simple fillings such as cheese, tuna, hummus or left over roast meat and freeze. Take them from the freezer in the morning and quickly add some salad or pack some salad separately.
• Make one of our delicious salads the night before and have it for a few days in a row. Mix it up with a bread roll one day and wholegrain crackers the next.
• Invest in some silicon egg cups that boil eggs without their shell. No more peeling eggs before they go in the lunch box. Use eggs in a smashed egg and lettuce sandwich or just plain for a snack. Curried eggs make a nice change.
• Lots of dinner foods can easily be packed in the lunch box. Cook extra so you can turn leftovers into lunch. When cleaning up after dinner, pack leftovers straight into lunch containers and store them in the fridge ready for the morning. 
• Pack the nonperishable items for lunch the night before.

And let the family help. Start with simple tasks for young children and before you know it, they will be doing it all by themselves.

So, while it’s tempting to buy lunch, taking your lunch to work or school every day is a real budget saver and it’s a great way to make sure you’re eating healthily.

Don’t forget to Make your lunch box food safe.

© Cancer Council NSW 2024 Head Office Address: 153 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011. Cancer Council NSW is registered with the Australian Taxation Office as an Income Tax Exempt Charity: Charitable Fundraising Authority No. 18521.

Some images on this site have been supplied by Cancer Council Western Australia's Crunch & Sip website