I find that meal planning de-stresses my day. The difficulty isn’t always in finding ideas – it’s in lunch ideas that work for your family. Most idea lists do not work for my people so I have to combine several and experiment on my children (mwa ha ha). I try to do a protein, carb, fruit/vegetable, and something sweet or salty to round it all out. Here is what has worked THIS year (and yes my kids love to decide they cannot eat something anymore if I serve it too much or just cuz… so good luck!):

And yes I love a good Thermos! Character ones are a hit with my younger babes and the solid color (and larger) ones are great for my older kiddos and for camping!!! Here’s what I’m talking about (click below):