Food to freeze for easy lunchboxes!

[DumboPrincess]

My DD started kindergarten on Thursday, and yesterday I sent:

PB&J frozen the night before
applesauce
raisins
Grapes frozen the night before
Horizons milk chilled in fridge
2 nutter butter cookies

So...the grapes and PB&J did really well frozen, thawed by lunchtime. What other foods/fruit/raw veggies can I freeze at the beginning of the week to have lunch "done" at the beginning?

Can I freeze her milk (it is shelf stable, but I prefer cold milk ?

I have four each of the sandwich holders and fruit/dip holders that have the gel chillers in them. (Like tupperware that has gel inserts that freeze and hold the chill. )If I got a few more I would have a week's worth to make her lunch a week at a time.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Help me out, please!

 

[DumboPrincess]

Anyone?

 

[Hannathy]

Why do you have to freeze everything? most of the things you are talking about are shelf stable you could baggie it up ahead of time but why freeze everything?

 

[chrismartinique]

unless your daughter prefers them cold, these items don't need to be frozen. Grapes sit at room temp in the grocery store. A little jam or jelly on a sandwich will be stable for a couple hours til lunch....

You may be worrying too much. I send frozen cool packs in the lunchbox when I send a cold meat sandwich, dairy products or dips, but fruits and veggies I don't worry too much. Do you have to send your own milk or is it provided at school? You could send partially frozen milk with a cold pack - that would probably still be cold but not icey by lunchtime.

 

[badblackpug]

blueberries freeze nicely
we also freeze "Gogurt" yogurts
I freeze juice boxes and milk boxes, even though these are shelf-stable

I think the OP wants to make the lunches a week at a time and freeze them so she doesn't have to make them daily.

 

[dizneechic]

The director of my dd's preschool freezes everything and labels it and her kids pack their own lunches. She makes ham/roastbeef/turkey sandwiches and she says they have no problem defrosting and tasting just fine. Personally I don't like any meat once it's frozen so I have been too chicken to try it.

On the gogurts, I think they tend to be soupier when they defrost then their original form. So unless they have them by snack time, by lunch they may be too watery and make a big mess. My kids bring yogurts all the time for snack (just chilled and then in a bag until snack), but my dd's school prohibits the gogurt style because of parents freezing and the subsequent mess they make.

 

[okeydokey]

I freeze a water bottle or water pouch and include that. It keeps everything else chilled.

 

[candielips]

I make up wraps and freeze them for my DH's lunch, much older than your DD but he says they freeze and thaw very well.
IN the wrap I put some chicken mixed w/ rice, salsa, onions, cheese, hot sauce etc.. basically I make them from leftovers, so whatever I have on hand.

 

[Fairy Mom]

I freeze Pb and J sandwiches. I bought the cutter from Pampered Chef that makes the uncrustable shape. The secret is to put a thin layer of pb on both sides of the bread. I would buy a couple loafs of bread on the weekend and make enough sandwiches for two weeks.

My daughter also likes different flavors of jelly and also apple butter. I use a sharpie to lable the flavors on a ziploc bag.

Capri drink pouches freeze very well and keep other foods cold.

My daughter's newest fav. flavor is pb and marshmello fluff.

 

[bookgirl]

unless your daughter prefers them cold, these items don't need to be frozen. Grapes sit at room temp in the grocery store. A little jam or jelly on a sandwich will be stable for a couple hours til lunch....

You may be worrying too much. I send frozen cool packs in the lunchbox when I send a cold meat sandwich, dairy products or dips, but fruits and veggies I don't worry too much. Do you have to send your own milk or is it provided at school? You could send partially frozen milk with a cold pack - that would probably still be cold but not icey by lunchtime.

I think the idea was to make up all the stuff on the weekends ahead of time and freeze it then they could just pull out what she needed quickly in the morning and throw them in the lunchbox.