Lunch

A match made in heaven.

A simple step with big rewards.

Chicken salad is the cool MVP of all kinds of family meals.

All the birthday party food ideas you could want, exclusive of sweets (that’s cake’s job!).

It might just be my favorite Ina Garten recipe of all time.

I couldn't stop going back for more.

And perfect for feeding kids fast.

Don't forget the tomato soup.

Ina’s Ultimate Tuna Melt is well worth the few extra steps and ingredients — including some that I never thought of combining with tuna.

I'm totally sold on this brilliant technique.

The crunchiest cucumber salads, cool noodle sides, and summer cocktails made even more refreshing with cukes.

Your future hungry self (and your family's) will thank you.

All of these recipes taste great in the shade.

This smart trick is a total game-changer.

It's tangy, it's sweet, it's creamy, it's crunchy. In other words, it's perfect.

We'll help you stay organized, save time, and keep lunches delicious — and safe.

Who knows more about packing lunches than a mom who does it 12 times a day? Just ask Alicia Dougherty of the Dougherty Dozen. She and her husband, Josh, are TikTok-famous parents of 12 children ranging from ages 3 to 15. They share tips for wrangling kids into doing chores, fun dance challenges, and the nitty-gritty of getting lunches out the door for their extra-big brood.

Kids (and adults!) will love them.

So good you'll eat it straight from the mixing bowl.

And not a sandwich in sight.

That's 25 lunches in one week!

From lunch box muffins to pasta salad.

Now that school is reopening in my neighborhood again, I need a new lunch box for my kid. What’s the best one you’ve found? HollyMorning! I’m running this again as I’ve had a bunch of new inquiries on this question! On to the email:Dear Holly (as well as a few others that have just asked me this question again),Over at The Kitchn, they’ve spent a good deal of time testing and writing about lunch boxes, and I’ve tried them all.

These picks are all cute, functional, and back-to-school ready!

For many families, back to school means a return to packing lunches. Making sure that your children are well-fed 365 days of every year is hard enough, but adding 180 school lunches can feel downright relentless. I understand and am here to offer relief. Get ready for the most liberating school lunch advice you’ll ever receive: Let your kid pack their own lunch box.

From personal convenience to communal equity: here's why we'll take advantage of the free lunch program.

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At the beginning of the pandemic, my children’s spring break turned into a two-week hiatus and then an experiment in distance learning with a timeline that kept getting extended. I found comfort in the extra time with my children and doing things together like puzzles and making pasta from scratch. Enjoying these moments anchored me in a sea of uncertainty. I also found relief in not having to do certain things anymore, like the morning stress shuffle.

One of the biggest challenges of packing my kids’ school lunches was seeing — and cleaning up — the food that came back home. Not only was it a major bummer to see food go to waste, but it also left me wondering if my kids spent the afternoon hungry. Sliced apples — beloved by my kids at home — used to always come back in their lunch boxes uneaten.

If you count up the whole year, every day of lunches, from now until summer break, did you know that back to school means packing 180 school lunches? I’ll let you sit with that for a moment. Whether your district started back to school virtually or you’re adjusting to a new normal in person, getting your kids to help with lunch will obviously make your life a little easier. Just like any new skill, teaching your kids to prep and pack their own lunches takes time and patience.

Getting kids to try new foods is simply an exercise in marketing. Case in point: When I made falafel for dinner one night, I called them chickpea nuggets instead of falafel and my children gobbled them right up. They asked for chickpea nuggets again and it got my mind churning with an idea for an actual chickpea nugget recipe — one with all the flavors and textures of chicken nuggets, but baked and egg-free.

Oh, avocado toast — the perfect shortcut meal for any time of day. And one of my absolute favorite ways to serve up a meal that works for the entire family, even the wee ones. Avocado toast is the perfect example, too, of the type of food I am sharing this week for DIY Mama; simple, adaptable meals that with a few adjustments are equally delicious and nutritious for mama and toddler.

Every one of these is kid-approved.

Whether your kids are at school or at home these brilliant lunchbox ideas will shake up your stuck-between-bread routine.