It's back-to-school time everywhere, but things are so wildly different this year. Whether it's homeschool, virtual school, going back in person, or a hybrid, there is one thing that doesn't change... kids gotta EAT! And with lots of lunches at home, parents are fretting about adding one more meal to their enormous list of things to do. But as a veteran home school mom, I have a secret to tell you...
YOU don't have to make lunch!
In this house, lunchtime is Life Skills 101 time. And with kid-friendly lunch options from Kraft Heinz, kids can get really excited about learning how to make their own lunches.
It's like that old saying goes... give your kids some mac and cheese, feed them for a day. Then, do it again tomorrow. And then again the next day. And then AGAIN the next. Ad infinitum.
But TEACH them to mac and cheese, feed them for a lifetime!
YIPPEE!
School started for us this week, so I grabbed lots of fun Kraft Heinz lunch options for my two guys at Walmart. They both LOVE to cook, so stocking up on items that help them practice their microwave and oven skills was a no-brainer. Here's what I got for them to choose from this week: Ore-Ida Golden Crinkles, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese in single-serving microwaveable cups, Bagel Bites Pizza Snacks, Delimex Beef Tamales and Capri Sun drink pouches.
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I started teaching my kids how to cook last year and it has been one home school decision I will never regret! Learning how to use the microwave and oven to create their own meals has really made them feel empowered. No more Mom plopping a plate down in front of them with a "You get what you get, so don't pitch a fit," at least at lunchtime. Now they can choose what they want to eat and it gives me time to do other things.
Check out my 9-year-old making his own Kraft Macaroni & Cheese in the microwave. With Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Cups, all he has to do is add water and pop it in the microwave for 3 ½, stir in the cheese and BOOM, lunch made! Add some fruit and a Capri Sun and he is one happy, well-fed home schooler! We worked on this lunch together and the very next day he wanted to do it by himself. He already knows how to make macaroni and cheese on the stovetop, but he still needs help draining the boiling water. So the independence the single-serves cups give him is great.
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Now my 11-year-old has learned more advanced kitchen skills and can handle using the oven to make his lunch. Here he is baking some Ore-Ida Golden Crinkles to add to his lunch (and mine!). He takes pride in making meals for ME on occasion. I love it!
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Reading and following directions, learning how to handle hot items, measuring, cleaning up, making meals for others … so many life skills to be gained in the kitchen! Yes, no matter what kind of schooling you do, teaching the kids how to make their own lunch is one of the best things you can do for you and your kids. So next time you head to Walmart, be sure to grab some easy lunch options from Kraft Heinz and turn lunchtime into Life Skills 101.
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Disclosure: Thank You to Kraft Heinz for sponsoring this article. All views and opinions expressed are my own.
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Macaroni Kid South Birmingham is a free weekly e-newsletter and website focused on fun family events and things to do with kids in the South Birmingham region. We gather together all kinds of local family events and activities each week, and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, book and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more. We proudly serve families in downtown Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Pelham, the Oak Mountain and 280 area, Helena and Alabaster.
