PB&J: It's What's for Lunch... (Part 5)

 photo from cars & cake

We're at the end of our week looking at school lunches. Maybe you don't hate packing them like I do. Maybe you don't need the structure of a routine. Maybe you don't have the need for a subscription meal plan like emeals (my review) or Fresh20 for something as humdrum as lunch.

But perhaps you still need a bit of inspiration now and then. After all, even the most diehard peanut butter and jelly fans might appreciate a break now and then.

So, here is some online inspiration for you. Most of the sites listed below use containers similar to the ones my family uses (see the first link for a picture of what we use, too; they are MUCH cheaper than the "bento box" or "easy lunchbox" variety--look for them in your local grocery store); in addition, lots of these ideas can be made with leftovers and/or prepped while you're also doing dinner (i.e. cook some extra broccoli or whatever). I, for one, do not have time to prep darling little cute lunch boxes for my children all the time (hence the menu subscription plan), but these are fun to browse through for new ideas:

• 100 Days of Real Food: blog which took a vow to eat only "real food" for 100 days. She chronicles her daughter's lunch via photography. I'm intrigued by those apple-peanut-butter sandwiches. Mmmm. (We use these same ziploc containers, by the way, and love them!!)
• Lunch in a Box: Bento box recipes (and explanations of bento boxes--which are similar to the lunch containers we use). These are not just Asian recipes (although those predominate the bento world).
• Bento Box Ideas on Pinterest: a short board on Pinterest with some nice-looking ideas!
• Parenting Magazine weighs in on the bento craze
• Adventures in Bento Making (how could you resist one of these super cute little lunches??)
• What's for Lunch at Our House (more bento boxes)
• Easy Lunchboxes Photo Gallery: these lunch containers are also similar to ours; lots of photos to scroll through for ideas!
• Pinterest School Lunch Boards: LOTS of boards devoted to this agonizing duty--just in case you want to wile away several hours looking at pictures of cute, healthy school lunches instead of actually making some ☺