In the Philippines, we call packed snacks or lunch boxes, “baon”. It is lovingly prepared by mothers for their child who goes to school. Bringing baon saves money and ensures that our children eat the right food that we personally prepared for them. When you become a parent yourself, you realize that preparing snacks isn’t that simple and takes a lot of time preparing and planning.
Here are some baon “hacks” I’d like to share to my fellow moms who of course, try to make everything work despite the many roles and jobs we juggle every day:
1. Use weekends, holidays, and nights to prepare your kids baon ahead of tomorrow – have you ever experienced running out of time and you still need to pack something for your student’s lunchbox? I have! And that taught me a lesson to prepare my son’s lunch box before I go to bed. Weekends can be a time to go to the grocery to buy snack items ahead.
Ashton checks out the Gardenia Pocket Sandwiches on display
Here’s our newest discovery, there are now pre-made sandwiches that are individually packed and filled with either peanut butter or chocolate spread. They are called “pocket sandwiches” and are made by Gardenia Philippines.
The sandwich itself is sealed around the edges so kids can neatly enjoy them without spilling spread on their uniform. What I like best is the individual packaging that makes it a grab and go for moms to put in lunch boxes. Each sandwich only costs P15 and like most Gardenia products, it is widely available in all supermarkets and convenience stores.
For drinks – I also buy by the carton and just alternate between chocolate drink and fruit juices. Don’t forget to still ask your child to bring bottled water. I refrigerate the tetra packs good for a week so that it’s also grab and go during school days.
2. Bread is an economical and healthy choice for baon – always have bread in your kitchen. It’ll save you money not just for your kid’s baon but for all family member’s breakfast and snacks. I stock different type of sandwich spread at home: mayonaisse, peanut butter, chocolate spread, and margarine. Sometimes I also make my own tuna spread. Having bread in our kitchen has prevented us from buying food outside or calling for delivery!
Here are some of our “bread pile” for this school and work week. Carbohydrates are essential for children to remain energetic. Some adults stay away from carbs but I do like loading up on carbs especially on a busy day or for when I’m doing my workouts.
3. Stock baon in your refrigerator – put your fridge (and electric bill) to good use! You can stock baon, even sandwiches, in the refrigerator so that they remain fresh and free of mold. Whenever I buy Gardenia loaf, we keep it in the fridge and it’s still good even after it’s use by date. How many times have you also experienced your kids baon being infested by ants? It’s such a hassle and waste!
Don’t worry about snacks being cold because by the time recess comes, they would’ve already reached room temperature.
These tips are good for young kids from pre-school to grade 3 when usually, they’d only have recess and not lunch. Sandwiches are my top choice because they are filling, satisfying, and you can easily have different flavors just by choosing a different spread or in case of pre-made sandwiches and ready to eat bread, just choose a different variant!
Happy schooling, mommy and baby!
