Simple lunch ideas for busy moms #HorizonLunch

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By now everyone is back in school and almost everyone is in the back to school lunch rot again. Same ol’ same ol’ ideas or are you one of those mom’s that writes a check every week? I decided to do lunch on a budget this year and spend as little as possible but send high quality, simple yet delicious lunch or snack ideas that will be fun and the kids will love. I was a mama on a mission with a big heart and a small wallet.

Are your kids like mine every time they walk by those pre-packaged lunch tray ideas and want them? Well, you are not alone. I know, I rather pack their own lunch and know what the kids are eating and trust me I can do it a lot cheaper than that.

I picked up a few of our favorite products during our Walmart trip and the kids even helped pick. My daughter really likes the single serve milk boxes from Horizon^®, did you know they have 8 gr. of protein per milk box, are an excellent source of calcium,have no high fructose corn syrup and come in two amazing flavor, vanilla (is flavored with organic vanilla extract) and chocolate (flavored with organic cocoa).

I think they are the perfect start to our lunch box, add some cheese, cold cuts, fruit or veggie and you will get 2 weeks worth of snack tray ideas that cost just at $2 per lunch box with leftovers for a few more. That includes fruit, grain, drink and everything else the kids need to stay energized during their busy day. Yeah… what a deal!

My son really liked the super squeeze fruit pouches from Horizon^®, I just smiled when he picked them for his lunch because I knew they had real fruit and organic milk and every single pouch is packed with 5 grams of protein as well as an excellent source of calcium. That makes a mom’s heart smile.

Making these lunch tray ideas yourself is so easy. We always put them together on Sunday evening, making it a fun family event. Kids can sort and cut out the cheese in their favorite shape with a cookie cutter, put it all in their little containers and it will be ready in the fridge each morning. Lunch doesn’t have to be difficult, it still can be simple, delicious and on a budget. Best part, you know exactly what your kids are eating!

I love to add a few fun lunch notes to the lunchbox after the kids packed their lunch in the evening to surprise them. Try it, your kids will love it. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy at all, I like to use good ol’ sticky pads and write a few encouraging words for the day to let them know that I love them. My daughter gets excited when she finds a note and calls me out if I forgot one. She loves lunch, making it fun is the key.

Oh, did you know that on select Horizon^® products they are featuring the new Peanuts Movie characters? I was soo excited, you know we love the Peanuts, even have our very own Peanut Gallery with our dogs Charlie Brown, Snoopy & Woodstock, so November 6th is just around the corner. Mark your calendars so you can head over to the movies as a fun family event and have a good ol’ time.  You could even bring along your Horizon^® Milk pack or the Fruit Pouches since they do not require refrigeration, making it the perfect take along snack idea for on the go, too.

There you have it, I shared some fun snack and lunch ideas and a great movie premier, so come on, grab your family and have some fun. Would love to hear if you have any fun simple and delicious snack or lunch ideas. Leave me a comment below, would love to hear all about it.

We like to keep things simple, so why not stock up for your lunches for a few weeks at a time and not worry about it till all is used up. Mom will be the hero and kids will love it, too. I bet the neighborhood kids will line up to make their very own snack lunch box.