'I'm not a lunchbox mum, but these hacks never come home uneaten.'

Thanks to our partner, GLAD

They say it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become a world-class expert at… something. So with three school-aged kids and seven years of lunchbox making under my belt, I should be well on my way to lunchbox mastery.

And yet.

Every morning those empty boxes look up at me expectantly, as if today is the day I'm going to wow them with gourmet, nutrient-dense items that I'd be proud to share on my socials. Instead they're often a bit of a mash-up of whatever is in the fridge, leftover from dinner or hiding in the back of the pantry.

But even though I'm not what you'd call a 'lunchbox' mum, I've finessed a bit of a formula over the years to make sure their lunchboxes come back empty and eaten. Here are my tried-and-tested hacks.

The Sunday set-up.

An hour on Sunday well-spent will make weekday-morning-you feel like a lunch hero.

It's amazing what you can get done in an hour in the kitchen (Parenting Out Loud podcast also in the ears for a little company). Even if you're not a domestic expert you could bake some healthy treats for the week (keep it simple, there are some really easy recipes out there). Or just spend some time chopping up grab-and-go vegetable sticks, cheese cubes and fruit that will last well (melon and pineapple are our current favourites).

Then reach for your Glad^® Snap Lock^® Reseal Bags and portion everything right away — muffins, crackers, cheese, dried fruit. You can even pre-make sandwiches and stack them in the freezer. These smart little bags honestly won't let you down: they mean business with their double lock, leak proof seal that locks in freshness. No soggy snacks. And no need for rummaging through drawers pairing containers with their missing lids.

Because everything's already portioned, sealed and (heck, I can be organised) labelled, mornings are calmer, and snacks stay fresh and tasty all week (or longer in the freezer).

A foolproof food formula.

Rather than starting from scratch or asking "what do you feel like eating today?" 10 times a week, on repeat for the whole first school term, I use a formula which takes the guesswork out of things for me. The best kind of autopilot.

Every day I aim to include: 

• A protein — like a boiled egg, cubed cheese, a yoghurt pouch.

• Cut fruit or veg that's easy for snacking on.

• A carb — a sandwich, savoury muffin, rice cakes or a wrap.

• Something sweet — this might be a muesli bar, a portion of dried fruit, or a sweet treat now and then.

Once you've got the formula, lunchboxes become about assembly, without the decision-making fatigue.

This is where those pre-portioned snacks (looking at you, Glad^® Snap Lock^® Reseal Bags. Life. Saver.) in the fridge or freezer save you time — I can fill those lunchboxes in less than five minutes with my eyes half-closed. It's a foolproof system that even the kids can follow (yep, sometimes I outsource lunchbox filling to my 12-year-old!).

The crowd-pleasers.

For our family, there are some definite crowd-pleasers that always get eaten. So if in doubt, I throw them in.

Muffins of any kind — savoury (like zucchini and cheese) or sweet (like banana choc) — are always a hit, and so are mini pizzas (I make these out of English muffins split in two, with tomato paste and tasty cheese in the air fryer), and tuna salad wraps.

Cheese and crackers never come home uneaten, and neither do their favourite fruits that are easy to eat on the go. I'm talking pieces of melon or mango, cut apples, blueberries, grapes and segments of orange. Cucumber sticks are always a hit too, especially with my seven-year-old.

Be a night-before lunchbox ninja.

Instead of rushing around making lunches in the morning amidst the chaos of breakfast, finding clean school uniforms and looking for lost library books, give yourself the gift of the night-before lunchbox.

When you're prepping or cleaning up from dinner, while lots of things are already out on the bench (and you haven't sat down for the night yet), throw together the lunchboxes while you're at it. There's no better feeling than grabbing ready-to-go lunchboxes from the fridge and handing them straight over for school bags in the morning.

For us, this whole process starts in the afternoon. My boys are big enough now to empty out their lunchboxes of any rubbish or fruit scraps when they first get home, and then wash them up ready for the next day.

That way by the time dinner rolls around, I can start popping things straight into their clean lunchboxes, and away we go. Legendary status incoming.

And finally, take the pressure off.

A good lunchbox doesn't have to be impressive. Aesthetic. Featuring 17 ingredients. It just has to be something they'll actually eat.

Some days it's new and intriguing. Some days it's a little predictable with your class hits. They're all perfectly fine. If your kids are fed, then you're doing a hero-worthy job.

And one to remember: you deserve time dedicated to making your own delicious lunch, given all the love you pour into organising theirs (you need fuelling too, friend).

Shop Glad^® Snap Lock^® Reseal Bags from your local supermarket.

Featured image: Supplied.

GLAD SNAP LOCK Reseal Bags have your back this back-to-school. From the morning chaos to the after-school hunger pangs, SNAP LOCK Reseal Bags are leak proof and lock in freshness so your pre-prepared snack can keep their hunger at bay, saving your time and sanity this school term.