Real talk? Here’s where we are: We feel like there is no time and totally side-swiped by the fact that it’s already back-to-school season. Yes, even though we’ve known for months that it was coming. We thought we were prepared, but there are still 10 million more things to do. So this week, we’re taking a moment to stop, breathe, accept the madness for the inevitable reality that it is, and taking stock of what still works — and doesn’t work — for the year of packing school lunches ahead. Because there’s no need to totally reinvent the wheel.
Right?
Lunch is the Least Important Part of Back-to-School
First off, listen and subscribe. For real this time, because we’ve got an epic back-to-school season that will run all the way through the end of September. This episode is just scratching the surface. Oh, and it’s also our one year anniversary . So you don’t want to miss a thing!
We kicked this episode off with a life update from each of us:
This will be Stacie’s last year of packing school lunch since her youngest, Oliver, will hit middle school next year, and that means access to the school’s cafeteria. In this episode, she talks a little bit about how that makes her feel and how’s she’ll be switching her school lunch packing approach to prepare him.
Remember, when Meghan forgot to send her first grader to the first day of school without lunch? It turns out that it was a blessing in disguise. Listen for deets on how that impacted last year’s school lunch situation, and what it means for her moving forward.
Stacie hasn’t packed a lunch for her middle schooler in two years, but that may change this year. Listen for how and why. (UPDATE: You can also listen to our episode all about tween lunches, where Stacie goes into her plan in full detail.)
Everything We Know About School Lunches
In addition to updates on how packing school (and camp!) lunch has gone since we last broached the subject, in this episode we also refer back to super helpful past guests.
Here are links to all of the resources we mentioned:
OUR VERY FIRST EPISODE! It’s all about school lunch. Duh.
Our episode with school lunch master, Catherine McCord of Weelicious.
Coping with school lunch and food allergies with Laura Fuentes of Momables (and other guests including an elementary school teacher and chef).
An episode all about after-school snacks (we think you want a second — are we right?!).
How to get your kids to eat more vegetables — Stacie thinks this one is relevant. Listen for how and why!
And Meghan’s update on her self-care journey shared in our Facebook Listeners’ Group (which is a follow-up to our episode about weight loss and body image).
180 School Lunches
We’re going to keep sharing (maybe even over sharing) on Instagram this back-to-school season. School lunches, breakfast fails, our best shopping secrets, quick dinners (especially ones that make great school lunch leftovers), and more. Make sure that you’re following along!
Stacie is @staciebillis and you can find Meghan on Insta at @meghan_splawn. And of course, together, we are @didntijustfeedyou.
Join Our Community
Not saying that we only have Listener Group giveaways, but we absolutely have something special planned for our awesome community to celebrate our one year podcast birthday!
So… not so subtle hint: You want to join our private Listeners’ Group STAT, which you can find through our Facebook page. The answer to the question to join is whiskey or painkiller.