I’ve always been a huge fan of letting my kids make their own school lunches.  I think it teaches them independence, and gives them a little more control about what they are bringing to school to eat.

When they were younger the kids would select a lot of ‘grab and go’ type foods, more like a collection of snacks than an actual lunch, but now that they are older, they are interested in bringing more ‘lunch like’ meals in their lunchboxes.

So I recently set up a sandwich making station to make it easier for them to find everything they need (and not tear up my fridge or kitchen drawers looking for everything.)


 I set up the station on a large vintage industrial style tray I built (get the instructions here). It was the perfect size since everything you need to prep a sandwich could fit, but you could also pick it up and move it off the kitchen counter when it wasn’t in use.

The sandwich station included utensils, napkins and zip-top bags for packing sandwiches for the lunchbox.  I also left all the shelf stable sandwich ingredients, like condiments and bread on the tray so they would be easy to find. 
Of course the key to a good sandwich is quality meats and cheeses. I choose Boar's Head. They offer a huge variety of deli meats and all my kids’ favorite cheeses.  Boar's Head also has a huge line of condiments, from mustard to mayonnaise and even refrigerated pickles! What sandwich is complete without a dill pickle spear on the side?

Along with some pre-washed lettuce and sliced tomatoes, all my Boar’s Head sandwich supplies are stored in the fridge in a single plastic container. 
I made sure to leave room next to the bread to slide the container right into place. Just drop it in and you have everything you need to assemble your sammie!
My kids like the simple wholesome ingredients in the Boar’s Head American Cheese and Applewood Smoked Turkey, but if your kids prefer ham, salami or even bologna, it is available from Boar’s Head as well.  All their quality products can be found in the deli case of your local market or gourmet grocery store! 
Both my 9 year old and 12 year old can make their own sandwiches.
Plus they can customize them to exactly their own tastes.  I have one daughter that loves tomatoes and one that can’t stand them!  
No more worrying about mix-ups when I make them. When they make their own they get exactly what they want!
Even I can use the sandwich station to make simple Boar’s Head grilled cheese sandwiches for my kindergartener, with everything at my fingertips it is so much easier.

So if you haven’t considered setting up a self-serve sandwich station, this is the perfect time of year to give it a try.  With a fridge full of quality Boar’s Head products you don’t have to worry about what your kids are bringing to school in their lunchboxes!

If you are looking for more school lunch ideas, don't miss the school lunch planning and recipe ideas on the Back to School with Boar’s Head website.  School lunches don't have to stop with sandwiches!