Packing a lunch is no easy feat, whether it's for you or your kids. Though we'd like to say we meal-prep on Sunday nights for the entire upcoming week, like the rest of the population, meal-prep is something we say we want to do and never truly follow through with. Sometimes life is so hectic that we're lucky if we remember to pack a lunch at all! Well, fear no more because Solo's here to lighten some of that burden with these handy lunch hacks. They're sure to make your morning routine easier, and your lunch a whole lot tastier. 

At the grocery store, you meticulously pick out the freshest fruit for your family. You're positive the strawberries you bought are the best of the bunch. The next morning, you cut them in halves, put them in a plastic baggie, add them to your child's lunch, and send them off to school. When they come home that afternoon and you unpack their lunch bag you find the strawberries untouched in their bag, completely smushed and unappetizing. You ask your child why they didn't eat them, and they point to the mess, with a look that screams duh. 

Sound familiar? 

We get how frustrating it can be to take the time to buy the best food for your family only to have it go to waste. After it happens so many times, it's hard to even consider giving your child fruit as a snack or a side in their lunch anymore. Save yourself the letdown and instead of reaching for a plastic baggie next time you want your child to have those organic blueberries for lunch, use a SOLO® Bowls to Go. They'll keep those blueberries pristine and completely smush free, and let fruit be an actual option at snacktime again. You can even use them for chips and crackers that you don't want to be crumbs by lunchtime, or anything else you want to keep safe from the inevitable beating your child's lunchbox takes!

A favorite at many family gatherings is a Jello mold. They're festive, colorful, and delicious, so we understand why they're such a hit! It's always a fun surprise to open your lunchbox to a cup of jello that reminds you of all those great times. Rather than buying premade Jello at the store, make your own molds at home in Solo® cups! SOLO® Squared® 9 oz cups are the perfect size for a on the go jello mold and come with lids to keep them safe until lunch. (Hint: the lids also fit SOLO® Clear Plastic 10 oz Cups!)

To make this snack, simply spray the cups with cooking spray so the Jello doesn't stick, and add fruit and gelatin as you would any Jello mold. Place a lid on each cup, pop them in the fridge, and they're ready for lunches!

Let's play a word association game: I'll start. CUP! What did you think of? I can almost guarantee you thought of a drink, but cups can be used for so much more than just beverages. They're portable, a great size, and have more than enough room for all sorts of snacks or lunchtime sides; think of them as a fancier Lunchable. One of our favorite cup treats is a base of peanut butter topped with celery sticks and raisins to make a deconstructed 'ants on a log'. Simply stack the ingredients in a SOLO® Clear Eco-Forward 18 oz cup or a SOLO® Squared® Plastic Cup, place a SOLO® lid on the top, and you're ready to go. Here are some of our other recommendations: 

• Peanut butter + sliced apples
• Ranch dressing + sliced veggies
• Hummus + sliced veggies
• Mozzarella + cherry tomatoes + olives
• Prosciutto + cheese + crackers

These cups also work great for on the go salads! The lids can help to keep your salad utensils close at hand.