Parenting is without a doubt one of the toughest and most stressful jobs out there, and for many, it’s not their only one. Getting the kids ready, packing lunch, monitoring their homework, and coordinating after-school activities all while working a nine-to-five job is enough to do anyone in. But, what if we told you My Hot Lunchbox could help take some of that stress off your plate? 

Packing Lunch May Be One of the Biggest Stressors for Parents

With more and more information surfacing about the link between nutrition and academic performance, it’s no surprise parents are more stressed than ever when it comes to packing school lunches. Making sure your child has healthy and tasty lunch each day can be daunting, especially when your fridge is running low and you’ve snoozed your alarm clock one too many times that morning. 

A survey conducted by Wise Apple in 2017 found packing school lunches to be one of the top back-to-school stressors for parents, even more so than getting the kids up and dressed or helping them with homework. In fact, 53% of the parents surveyed cited they disliked packing lunch and 61% reported it as the single most stressful part of the back-to-school season. 

If the average parent spends about 10 minutes each morning packing a school lunch, think about how much time is spent doing so each year. Let’s do the math: 10 minutes / day x 5 days / week = 50 minutes per week. 50 minutes / week x 4 weeks / month = 200 minutes per month. 200 minutes / month x 9 months / school year = 1800 minutes per school year! 1800 minutes equals 30 hours! Just imagine what you could be doing with that time instead. 

In 2018, Care.com conducted a survey exploring parents’ perceptions of the school season and their approach to handling the stress that comes along with it. When asked how they remain cool, calm, and collected, several parents mentioned planning for the week ahead of time while others preferred delegating responsibilities to take the pressure off themselves. But, how many of us can really trust our children to pack a healthy, balanced meal each morning?

What My Hot Lunchbox Can Do To Help 

Here’s where My Hot Lunchbox comes in! We partner with your kids’ favorite restaurants to deliver nutritious and delicious meals to schools nationwide. 

We’ve already mentioned how much time you can save delegating lunch responsibilities, but what are some of the other benefits of using our school lunch delivery service? We’ve provided a list below: 

• Wide variety of options. Who likes to eat the same thing day in and day out? Not us! We strive to provide well-balanced meals from a variety of restaurants, including gluten-free and vegetarian options. 
• Freshness guaranteed. Lunch is no longer limited to cold cuts and salads. Now you can order anything from a smoothie to a burrito bowl without having to worry about it spoiling or getting cold. Every meal provided is prepared by our vendors the morning of and delivered fresh to your school!
• Promotes a positive relationship with food. Providing your children with well-balanced meals from their favorite restaurants gets them excited about what’s for lunch and helps them create a positive relationship with the foods they’re eating. Additionally, kids are more likely to expand their palate and try new foods from vendors they recognize!
• Reduces food waste. Did you know that schools produce nearly 530,000 tons of food waste each year? According to a study conducted by WWF , that could cost as much as $1.7 billion! In fact, food is the single largest component taking up space inside US landfills. When you partner with My Hot Lunchbox, you can provide your children with meals from restaurants they know and love, reducing food waste all around!  
• Individually packaged meals. The health and safety of your children are our #1 priority! We ask each vendor to package meals individually and make them in compliance with COVID guidelines.
• School fundraising. To make things even better, our schools have the option to contribute a portion of the proceeds from each lunch directly back into their school community! 

Ready to order? Get started today at https://ordernow.myhotlunchbox.com/sign-up. Skip the meal prep and #lettuceworryaboutlunch! 

Written By: Shelby Candler

Photo By: Cristiano Pinto on Unsplash