I've always done a lot of picnic lunches with Eli. Eating outside is just plain fun, but when Little Guy was just beginning to eat solids, I found picnics altogether necessary. When kids are tiny, you always want to have food ready for them whenever they are hungry. It is also hard to find enough restaurant food that is mild, healthy, and the right texture.
As Eli got older, eating away from home got easier. Yet I often eye the kids' menu with frustration. So many restaurants offer nothing but chicken fingers, mac n' cheese, hot dogs, hamburgers, or pizza. In addition, for several weeks now we've been dealing with some post-accident loose teeth; he needs soft foods. These days, I try to bring fresh fruits and veggies for him whenever we eat out, but often I skip restaurants and venue food/snack bars altogether.
Yup. Packing food effectively is a fairly essential mama skill.
For a long time, I just grabbed whatever Tupperware-type containers we had handy and stuck them in a cooler bag leftover from Eli's bottle-drinking days. But it made for a hodge-podge of ill-fitting containers in a bulky pack. There had to be a better way. I wanted square containers that would fit together nicely but were also BPA chemical free, sturdy, reusable, and came in handy sizes. After some looking around, I found Laptop Lunches. Just right! The sandwich container even fits two sandwiches on top of each other, so Eli and I can easily share a lunchbox. I got two sets so I can mix and match containers. (Eli loves the smallest container. I often pack a little dried fruit or a dipping sauce for him.) Why didn't I know about these boxes during my working days when I brown bagged every lunch?! Add some silicone cupcake cups to use as food dividers and you're in business bento-style.
Laptop Lunches brand containers are designed to fit into a bigger plastic box and then a cloth lunchbox. Right now, I think that would be a bit bulky for our needs. Hmmm. I wanted something small that I can surface-clean. I also wanted a fun outside pattern that wouldn't show dirt, an over-the-shoulder strap, insulation, room for cold packs, and storage pockets. After a lot of exploring and zipper-poking, I found one that works great for us -- Wildkin.
The pocket on the back is great for storing a set of tot silverware, a set of plastic utensils (reusable) for me, and some hand sanitizer wipes.
The mesh pocket inside the lid holds our cold packs if we need them.
At V. Sattui Winery's deli, I found a picnic knife that works great in our lunchbox. The tip isn't sharp, yet it has a serrated edge. When I have it along, I can easily peel whole fresh fruit or slice cheese but it also makes a good spreader. I made a sheath for it out of a piece of folded cereal box and tape. It just fits in the outside pocket of our lunchbox.
What do you find helpful for on-the-go picnics? I'd love to learn new tricks!
At a recent outing, I flopped down on the picnic blanket to enjoy my lunch. After he finished eating his own, Eli came and buzzed around my box of strawberries.
"Mama, are you going to share?"
that is such a cool knife! I think we need one of those!
Posted by: Katy | 13 October 2011 at 04:03 PM
I've never seen one like it in a store. Before we leave California, I'm going to make sure we pick up a couple of extra.
Posted by: Valerie J. Frey | 14 October 2011 at 04:37 PM