Back-to-School Lunch Guide

Get those lunch boxes ready — it’s time to head back to school! Don’t get stuck in a rut of the same-old, same-old. Your students can love their lunches with new recipes and stay healthy and safe at the same time with these tips and suggestions for happy lunchtimes.

Stay Safe and Healthy

Making lunch for your kiddos isn’t just about what but also how. Check out these eight tips for a tasty and safe school lunch:

1. Wash hands with warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.

2. Use soap and hot water to clean all work surfaces.

3. Include a frozen water bottle, juice box, or freezer pack in your child’s lunch bag to keep perishables cool.

4. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten. Blot dry with a paper towel before packing them in your child’s lunch.

5. Make lunch the night before and store it in the fridge until it’s time to go.

6. Use an insulated bottle to keep food hot. Fill it with boiling water and leave it for a few minutes. Empty and then fill it with hot food.

7. Tell your kids to throw away or recycle all used food packaging and any leftovers. Reusing plastic bags is not a good idea because they could cause foodborne illness.

8. Make sure your kids know to keep their lunches out of direct sunlight and away from other heat sources. If the school has a fridge for kids, tell them to use that. Just make sure your kids’ lunch containers are marked with their names.

Fun and Easy Recipes

As a parent, it can be challenging to please picky and finicky eaters — you may not even know if they eat what you pack for them. So trying some new recipes may be just the trick you need. Who knows, maybe they will come home and say they liked it! Here are some fun and easy lunches to try.

How about a unique take on the PB&J? Instead of jelly, use pickles. A peanut butter, pickle, and chips sandwich may make all their friends envious. And yes, you read that right: slather their favorite bread with peanut butter and add some salty potato chips and pickles. The PB&P could become their new favorite. For an “opposites attract” meal, add chocolate milk and cookies.

Make them a colorful feast with finger foods like grapes, cubed cheddar, sliced turkey, and crackers. Or pack small, individual containers with blueberries, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, pita bread, and hummus. It’ll be like an indoor picnic without the bugs!

Speaking of months, Georgetown kids have less than a month before school starts on August 17th! Get your meal plans together now to be ready for the first-day excitement.

New School Coming to Parmer Ranch

Did you know that by next year Parmer Ranch will have a middle school right here in our fabulous master-planned community? Your kids can be closer to their school when you move into a new Parmer Ranch home. Learn more about Georgetown ISD and education in Parmer Ranch here.