Back-to-school tips for packing school lunches
Simple, creative and healthy lunch ideas from Liza Huber, CEO and founder of Sage Spoonfuls.
Tiffany Keene made sure her 9-year-old son had an unforgettable "golden birthday" with a school lunchbox filled with shrimp, lobster and other goodies.
Keene told Fox News Digital she wanted to make her son’s birthday extra special this year because it was his golden birthday – a once-in-a-lifetime celebration when a person’s biological age matches up with the day they were born. In Keene’s case, her son Cruz turned nine on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022.
"Cruz had the most amazing golden birthday," Keene said.
MOM OF 10 PREPPING LUNCH AND BREAKFAST AMAZES TIKTOK WITH HER ROUTINE
Keene started off the day with cinnamon roll waffles for breakfast. She then packed Cruz a one-of-a-kind birthday lunchbox that was complete with a gold-painted sparkling water can, a shrimp and lobster wrap, a small portion of cheese crisps and two macrons.
Ohio mom Tiffany Keene packed her 9-year-old son an unforgettable "golden birthday" lunch on Feb. 9, 2022, which included a shrimp and lobster wrap, cheese crisps and macrons. (Tiffany Keene)
The Ohio-based mother of three carried over Cruz’s birthday theme with gold utensils, a gold straw, a gold sandwich wrapper and toothpick, two gold tin foils, hidden gold bows and a gilded handwritten note.
"Cruz was so grateful and excited when he opened his lunch," Keene told Fox News Digital. "He came home and thanked me a million times over."
HIGH SCHOOL LUNCH PHOTO SHARED BY NY DAD HAS PARENTS CONCERNED
Keene noted that a few of Cruz’s friends learned what a golden birthday is for the first time and have gone to describe the event to their own parents.
Even when it’s not his birthday, Cruz goes to school with a packed lunchbox each day. Keene started packing his lunches when he started kindergarten and she’s continued the tradition as he takes on third grade.
"I get up every morning at 5 a.m. to make everyone in my home a prepared lunch and breakfast," Keene said. "Most mornings I even start dinner in the Crockpot, so it can be done by dinner."
SALMON RICE BOWLS HAVE TAKEN OVER TIKTOK: TRY THE RECIPE
Many of Keene’s creations have been posted to her TikTok account @real.at.tiffanys, where she shares meal prep inspiration and recipes from her cookbook – "Cooking at Tiffany’s: Simple recipes for everyday life."
Tiffany Keene painted a sparkling water can gold to match her son's golden birthday – a once-in-a-lifetime celebration when a person’s biological age matches up with the day they were born. (Tiffany Keene)
"I’m not a trained chef. I’m actually a nurse," Keene said. "I grew up watching my grandmother cook and also taught myself a lot. My cookbook does include school lunch ideas along with breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes. I just recently started creating videos to show them off more."
While Keene certainly makes cooking look easy, she told Fox News Digital that she carefully plans her schedule since she works from home full-time and has a monthly PRN nursing job where she provides assistance to a hospital or nursing home.
Keene does all this while she also cares for Cruz and her two young sons who are 2-years-old and 7 months.
BEACH DAY SANDWICH HACK IMPRESSES TIKTOK: SAVES TIME ON LUNCH PREP
"[For lunch prep], my best advice is to plan ahead," Keene said. "I try to have all meals planned at the beginning of each week. Sundays are my days to shop and plan meals."
Being a "frugal shopper" has helped Keene as well. She likes to buy her groceries from Aldi because she finds deals that fit her family’s food preferences. For example, Keene purchased two lobster tails for $14 for Cruz’s golden birthday lunch at Aldi, which she says "is cheaper than a meal at a restaurant."
Tiffany Keene says her son Cruz, 9, is a seafood lover, which is why she incorporated a shrimp and lobster wrap into his golden birthday lunchbox. (Tiffany Keene)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Cruz is a seafood lover, so although his birthday lunch might look "over-the-top and expensive" to some parents, Keene reassured that it wasn’t pricey and also made her son happy.
"It doesn’t take much to make your child feel special," Keene told Fox News Digital. "You don’t need to make an over-the-top lunch. If your child loves PB&J then cut it into shapes, add a quick lunchbox note or a funny joke. There are many ways to make a child feel special even if you feel like you don’t have the time."
