Laptop lunchboxes have turned my lunchbox rut around and save the earth 4 plastic bags every day and me some money in the process. Go and see the photo gallery on their website for inspiration.
The way the laptop lunchbox is arranged is incredibly helpful for applying the "ingredients" method to making lunches. One big container I use for fruits, apple, and a bit of other fruits for my older son, peaches, blueberries, strawberries to my younger son. The other big container I use for greens; my older son loves salad (with his main meal in the thermos), and for the younger I put cucumber, carrots, tomato, and avocado, which he will eat happily. The two small containers I use for soy chips / whole wheat crackers or pretzels, and nuts (2 Moms In The Raw), graham crackers, or a small slice of home-made flax seed-almond-fruit pie.
- Take 1 frozen flaky pastry circle
- Mix 1/4 cup butter with agave syrup, 1 egg, almond flour, 1 tsp almond essence, 2 tbsp flaxseed meal (or poppy seeds)
- Top pastry with filling
- Cut up fruit (apples, pears, peaches, rhubarb/strawberry, cherry are all good)
- Mix with a little agave syrup and cinnamon
- And bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and 350 for an additional 35.
Variations: Fruit sometimes includes a half kiwi or pineapples, a favorite; cantaloupe or blackberries, cherries, oranges, tangerines and banana.
The "snack" is sometimes a "mini" sandwich, tuna, egg sandwich, salmon, cream cheese are all favorites. By mini I really mean mini, literally two bites.
I often include a little cheese with the apples, a mini yogurt, or I put the fruit in a homemade jello.
My trick with the younger son to encourage him to open his lunchbox is that oftentimes I will say that there is a hidden treasure in the box. I put a chocolate covered blueberry among his blueberries, or cut the cheese up in a precious stone shape, or put pine nuts in it.