Make your own lunchables!! I promise it's easy!

Happy Tuesday!

So yesterday I was in my daughters pre-school lunch group, and the number of kids eating lunchables kind of made me cringe. Sure I know they are easy, I mean all you have to do is pick it up a bunch of them from the store and throw them in the kids lunch. Done. However, have you ever read the ingredient list on the back of it!? 

This is a list from a Ham and Swiss Lunchable. The number of Preservatives, Enriched Flour, Food Dyes, and sugars are crazy!!

I know it takes a little planning, but in five minutes you can make your own! 

This is my boys favorite  (Mom made) Pizza Lunch!! All you need is a tortilla (which I cut in fourth's-this is a large one made by Ezekiel bread-it's the sprouted grain tortilla) Half goes into one boys lunch half in the other. 6 slices of pepperoni-I use Hormel brand Natural Pepperoni as there are no nitrates or artificial preservative. Lastly of course you need shredded mozzarella  I do suggest getting a block and shredding your own in the food processor-for one it's cheaper, secondly pre-shredded cheese has potato starch and cellulose added to it, and neither of those things need to be in cheese.
I always add a side of fruit, you could easily put veggies to put on the pizza if your child will eat them (my boys aren't big on it for pizza, so they again get a side of veggies).
That's just one easy idea, really your imagination is the limit!!

Meat cheese and crackers! Made a cute little bento box type thing with muffin liners!
or even...

Yep I did that! (Once-lol) It was I think for the first day of school I think. The Angry bird was salami on a whole wheat tortilla I made leftover from dinner held on with cream cheese. Mozerella stick cut for the whites of the eyes, with black bean eye balls and black olive eyebrows, oh yeah and a cheese beak. The pig was made from kiwi and raisins, fig cookies looked like the blocks!
Seriously I did this like once, because it did take a little time. The point is making food fun (with a lunch like this I doubt they would choose a lunchable over this!) There are some GREAT ideas at Bento-ware (click on their name it will take you there!

These lovely ziplock container I got at Target or there are tons of ideas out there to make your own boxes. Sometime I will use a sandwich keeper with the cupcake liners and that works well too! If time is an issue, you could make them all up on Sunday and then just pull one out each day!
Do you have a great lunch box idea!? Please feel free to share them in the comments!!