Are You Ready For Back To School? 2023 School Year Is Here!
Sort Your Routine
Promised yourself that you wouldn’t be rushing everywhere like last year? Then, now is the time to put some thought into how you might want to handle your routine. Before you know it, school will be back, along with sports practices, swimming lessons, dance classes, and music lessons.
Now is the time to nail that routine and get a bit organised. Here’s some ideas to help you do that:
Batch cooking
There are heaps of ways that you can maximise your time in the kitchen:
- Bake a double batch of muffins or slices and freeze. Then, grab them out as you need them for lunches and after school snacks
- Batch cook meals on a day when you have a bit of time. Portion them out so you have quick heat and eat options for busy days. Freeze any leftovers that you won’t get to in the week so there is no wastage.
- Prefer different meals each day? Then, chop and portion out the ingredients for each meal in one big prep session. Then, simply take out the pre-chopped ingredients each evening and speed up the cooking process significantly.
- Make a meal plan for the week so that you know what you are going to cook each day and then make a shopping list to ensure you have all the ingredients on hand.
- Hate meal planning? Then, why not try a food delivery service like Hello Fresh, Bargain Box or Woop to have yummy and healthy meals delivered to your door on a weekly basis?
Plan it out
It is easy to lose track of everyone’s work, school and extracurricular activities. Having a central place to house all the information makes it easy to check who is meant to be where, and when!
Choose a system that suits your family. It could be a calendar on the wall, a big whiteboard or chalkboard in a central area of your home, shared online calendars, or any other system that works for you.
Once it is all there in front of you, it makes it easier to arrange transport, supervision, snacks and all the other things that go along with organising a busy family.
Divide and Conquer
All the responsibilities shouldn’t fall to one person in the household. So, dividing and conquering is the key to less stress. Coordinate schedules then assign jobs and transport responsibilities accordingly. Everyone can contribute to helping the household run smoothly, even the smallest family members!
Buy The Essentials
Need to update the back to school supplies? Then, you’ll need these essentials:
Backpack
School and kindy backpacks have a hard life. So, you want one that is going to fit all the things AND last the distance. Our range of Montii Backpacks are the perfect choice. With three big pockets, side pockets for drinks, and made from durable water resistant fabric, these are the backpacks your family needs. Especially as they come in a range of funky colours.
Lunchbox
With so many lunchboxes out there on the market, it is hard to know which one to choose. So, here are some of our favourites:
Bento Style: Kids like it when all the foods are sectioned out? We do too. Try the b Box, Yumbox or Go Green range for a package free lunchbox full of variety.
Insulated Lunchbag: Keep your kid’s lunch cool all the way to lunchtime with an insulated lunch bag. Some of our range are big enough to house a Bento box inside, or you can simply use food containers or snack bags within the lunch bag. Don’t forget the ice packs to keep it all cool!
Food Jars: Say goodbye to boring sandwiches and hello to a heap of other lunch options with an insulated food jar. Keep salads cool or hot foods warm for school lunches or on-the-go meals. Keep reading for some ideas for yummy lunch options to put in your food jars!
Drink Bottle
Going back to school in summer is thirsty business - it’s hot! So, you want to make sure the kids (and the adults) are well hydrated. A good drink bottle that is easy to use is essential for this. Our favourites are the Montii.co and the b Box brands as they come in a range of sizes and colours to suit any thirst level.
Drink bottles aren’t the only way to take liquid on the go though. You can also take an epic breakfast smoothie in a Smoothie Cup or a caffeinated beverage in a reusable coffee cup.
Nail The Menu
We have to admit, that making school lunches is not always our favourite task! There isn’t a lot of time in the mornings, the kids all want something different, and lunches can get boring pretty quickly! So, this school year, upgrade your lunchbox options and serve some of these ideas:
Smoothies:Not just for breakfast, smoothies can fill tummies at any time of the day or evening. Throw in your favourite fruits, some spinach, even some oats or chia seeds to create a healthy meal that can be consumed on the go. For some extra nutrients, add a Smoothie Bomb or some Protein Powder.
Muffins: Blueberry and chocolate chip are probably your go-to flavours when it comes to muffins, but you can do so much more with this versatile food. Muffins can become a small meal in themselves and you can experiment with flavours - like corn and bacon, egg and potato breakfast muffins, banana and nut, chocolate zucchini, or any other combo you can dream up.
Sandwich alternatives:Sandwiches are a lunchbox staple for a reason. They are easy to make and they travel well. But, they can get boring day in and day out. Why not use the same concept but vary it up with things like wraps, quesadillas, flatbread, pita, crackers, pinwheels or kebabs?
Salads: With insulated food jars in the mix, salads are on the table for lunchbox options. Put your kid’s favourites in and they’ll have a healthy and filling lunch. Try pasta salad, potato salad, wild rice options, roasted veggies, broccoli and bacon, beetroot and carrot, egg salad, or any other combo. Don’t forget the cutlery to eat it with.
International Cuisines: Embrace the tastiness of other cultures with some of these internationally inspired lunchbox options:
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Sushi balls: yummy fillings surrounded by sushi rice and rolled in sesame seeds
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Falafel: tasty chickpea bites that house the flavour of the Mediterranean
- Savoury slices: think pumpkin, feta, zucchini, eggs, tomato or spinach baked into a slice. Here are 17 great recipe ideas from Taste.
- Frittata or Quiche: yummy eggs based options for easy eating
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Gozlame or stuffed pastry: use traditional spinach and feta filling or other flavour options
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Macaroni lunch loaf: think mac n cheese baked in a loaf tin and then sliced
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Filo Pastry cups: fill em up with your favourite fillings and bake for a crispy cup of yum. Top tip - when you remove them from the over, move them to a wire rack to cool so the pastry doesn't go soggy.
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Pizza pockets: fluffy pillows of dough filled with all your favourite pizza toppings
There you have it, all you need to hit the ground running in back to school mode! For all your essentials, head over to the back to school section on our website now.
For additional support be sure to check out our 2023 10 Step Checklist For Back to School
