Let’s see a show of hands.
How many of you have kids that beg you with every last fiber of their beings to buy them Lunchables when they see them in the lunch meat aisle?
::Raises both hands::
Have I got a simple solution for you!
Now don’t get me wrong, I loved Lunchables when I was a kid too. There’s just something about them that screams “fun!”
But they are kind of expensive. And honestly, they don’t taste that great.
So in an attempt to not be a boring mom and to counteract the “we can’t have Lunchables” whine, I give my kids the opportunity to make their own “lunchables.”
It’s not rocket science, but it took me awhile to think of it. 
Instead of spending the $ on a prepackaged meal, we buy the ingredients and make our own!
The flavors are completely customizable.
- Pick your own meat: ham, turkey, chicken – smoked, honey glazed – whatevs.
- Decided on a cheese: cheddar – sharp, mild, medium; ColbyJack; Monterey Jack.
- And then there’s the crackers: Ritz {in various flavors, like Honey Wheat, Whole Wheat, Roasted Vegetable, and Original}, Club {my fave!}, Townhouse.
You get the idea…. I’m drooling over here…Is it time for lunch yet?
Spend 5 minutes slicing cheese and lunch meat {hint:: I use kitchen shears to cut the lunch meat}.
Score extra points with the kidlets by throwing in a CapriSun and a snack sized dessert. But even if you don’t….the kids will be happy.
Add some fruit to keep it healthy.
Then comes the fun part!
Stacking it!
My boys just love stacking their own little sandwiches. They get such a kick out of it! I think it’s pretty great too, and even Miss M agrees!
And before you know its…plates are cleaned and lunch is over.
It takes no time at all to cut up some lunch meat and slice up a block of cheese. Easy for picnics or to pack in a lunchbox too! And I feel much better about serving this DIY version instead of the “real” thing.
So there you go…A simple solution even the kids will love!
PS – My kids like cheese and crackers so much that our fish now sport the names: Cheese and Cracker. Yes, my friends, it is true.
Got any other simple, fun, and creative food tips to share? I’d love to hear!
My kiddos love this too! We do it at least once a week!
I usually do little “rolls” for the meat rather than cut it into squares, but they like it just as well (since they eat everything separately anyway).
Love the fish names!! When we had fish, Owen narrowed his name choices down to Mashed Potatoes, Roll, and Donut before deciding on Donut!