The back-to-school sales at the end of July may have been jumping the gun a little bit, but I think it’s time to admit now that summer’s nearly over and school really is coming (and has started in some parts of the country, I know).

We’re at T minus eleven days and counting…

Packing lunches is definitely a chance to Eat Well AND Spend Less, since buying convenience foods can be pricey and not-so-nutritious, but sometimes coming up with your own ideas just pushes the midnight creativity a little much. Also, as Shaina points out in the comments of her post, she chooses to pack instead of purchase school lunch because she can make a lunch for less than $2.40 per child.

My focus this week was packing lunches with food allergies in mind, particularly ideas for a gluten-free school lunch and some commentary on peanut allergies in the classroom. You’ll find even more ideas for everyone at my old healthy school lunch packing post.

For inspiration for packing doldrums, being frugal, and after-school snacks, check out what the rest of the EWSL team shared:

Best Containers and Picky Kids

from Shaina of Food for my Family

Packing lunches is not one of my favored activities. In fact, I kind of dread the whole process. There’s a lot to consider, especially when you’re trying to pack healthy lunches that will be consumed by three wholly different and unique children.

What’s more, there is lunch bag envy. Lunch bag envy is what happens when your child glances at their neighbor’s lunch that includes cookies and juice and all the things that make it seem cooler than their sad sack of carrots and cheese cubes. To a 6-year-old, even the pile of gray chicken nuggets can be more attractive than whatever it is mom put in the Star Wars lunch bag.

And so it is. Three children, three different sets of likes and dislikes, one mom on a mission to provide a healthy lunch that each will eat and enjoy all while spending a minimal amount with the least amount of waste.

Read the rest right HERE…

Affordable School Lunch Tips

from Jessica of Life as MOM

The blogosphere has practically exploded with cute and utterly adorable lunch ideas. Who knew that sandwiches could be cut into so many interesting and fascinating shapes?

Cute as these lunches may be, they aren’t the best thing since sliced bread if your kid won’t eat them — or worse, they break the bank. I’m all about making meals appealing to the eye, but pretty is as pretty does. Lunchtime needs to fit the bill!

How can we make lunchtime, nutritious, fun, and affordable?

There are a number of ways where you can curb costs when it comes to packing lunches for school or work. Techniques as varied as savvy coupon shopping and baking your own granola bars can definitely play a part in keeping costs down while maintaining the fun factor.

Read the rest right HERE…

Managing School Year Breakfast (& a Baked Oatmeal Recipe)

from Aimee of Simple Bites

My lazy summer mornings are about to come to an end. Oh, how I have enjoyed not having to hustle my kindergartner out the door with a lunch and a school bag during these summer months.

I’ve been pregnant for the entire summer and mornings have not been my forte. The kids come and jump on me and we snuggle and read in bed until their tummies start rumbling. Yes, summer has been sweet.

However, as I slowly move out of the first trimester (can I get a high five?!) I feel my strength returning, just in time for fall, school, and those action-packed school-day mornings.

Energetic or not, pregnant or not, I need to have a morning plan. In this post I’ll show you my strategy for providing nourishing breakfasts this fall and throughout the winter. It’s simple, organized, and cost effective…

Read the rest right HERE…

Preparing for Busy School Weeks

from Mandi of Life…Your Way

One of the ways we ensure we’re eating healthy during the school year — when our daily schedule suddenly includes 3-4 hours of school time! — is to prepare as much ahead of time as we can. But whether you homeschool like us your kids go to school, the fall is a busy season as families adjust to a new schedule, sports & other activities and more.

The draw of convenience and packaged foods is that they’re ready when you need them, so we try to create our own convenience foods instead of relying on unhealthier options (or their more expensive “healthy” counterparts).

What does this look like in practice?

Find out HERE…

Quick & Easy Snack Ideas

from Carrie of Denver Bargains

Though we’ve been easing into it for months, today is our first official day of homeschooling.  I may be crazy to admit this, but the thing that is stressing me out the most right now is not how to teach 1+1=2 and how to teach a child to read: my biggest challenge right now is food!

With beginning to homeschool, being three months pregnant with baby number five, and grocery prices rising, I’m having a hard time keeping my family well-fed.  I’ve put myself under pressure to be the most frugal shopper ever, and so when I feel like I’ve spent “too much” at the store, I refuse to shop anymore.

That’s been an OK strategy for me in the past, when the grocery budget was super tight and I had the energy to be creative with “nothing to eat in the house”, but right now my budget isn’t super tight and I don’t have a lot of energy to be creative with a less-than-stellar pantry – so why am I causing myself so much stress?!

All that to say that meals and snacks are a huge struggle for me right now.  My family eats a lot, and is not impressed when I throw a few apple slices at them for a snack.

Read the rest right HERE…

Balancing Homemade with Homeschooling

from Tammy of Tammy’s Recipes

I thought I was ready to start the new school year this month, but boy was I wrong! Having a child in second grade, kindergarten, and pre-K, along with a toddler (18 months) has really thrown me a curve. Someone is always needing help with something. Someone ends up being grumpy, someone ends up goofing off a little too much, or someone is bugging someone else. I’m reliving the “joys” of a struggling almost-reader. Our kitchen table is getting a workout as it functions as our dinner table, school desk for 3, and my computer area — not all at the same time, of course.

How in the world am I supposed to get “everything else” done during a rigorous school schedule?! (Thankfully, we don’t have extra-curricular activities to run to!)

Quite simply, I don’t get everything else done as I’d like to. And cooking from scratch during busy seasons of life — or is all of life a “busy season” for you? — ISN’T EASY. But, I’ve been making it a priority. And I think… it’s working. So far. Here are my tips!

Read the rest right HERE…

Quick & Easy Snack Ideas

from Alyssa of Kingdom First Mom

No matter how busy we are, we still have to eat supper, right? Some way, some how there has to be a meal.

But, who has time to prepare a gourmet (or more than just pb&j sandwiches!) meal after working all. day. long? And how do you find time to actually eat a meal when you have to balance homework, soccer practice, baths, and family time in that short span between getting home and bedtime?

The key for me is meal planning. I know each week what I want to cook on which days, and I make sure I have the needed ingredients on hand so I can actually prepare the meal without a trip to the store. This allows me to (most nights!) serve a nice, healthy meal in the evenings, without spending hours in the kitchen at the end of the day.

Read the rest right HERE…

Homemade Snacks for Back to School

I remember as a child, the first thing out of my mouth upon arriving home from school was usually “I’m hungry!” And it’s no surprise that I’m hearing my own children say the exact same thing.

I try my best to make sure they eat a decent breakfast before school and I always pack them a balanced lunch, but a day at school is full of hard work: mentally in the classroom and physically on the playground.

It’s important to have the house stocked with the ingredients you’ll need for homemade back to school snacks. Snacks will give kids the energy they need to complete homework and other after school tasks (plus a full tummy in our house always seems to lead to a more positive attitude!).

Read the rest right HERE…

(And of course, you can grab Healthy Snacks to Go, which will nearly double in size this fall – and all purchasers get the update FREE! Now is the time to buy before the price increase for the second edition!)

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Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money. If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments. See my full disclosure statement here.