Lexington startup wants to deliver healthy school lunches your kid will eat
Pretty much every parent is familiar with school lunch drama. Maybe you don’t like what the school has. Or you kid isn’t eating it ... Or if you forgot to pack a lunch.
A Lexington start-up company from someone familiar with the food business wants to help solve those dilemmas and many more.
Packed is a new company that makes nutritious, delicious (kid-tested and approved) boxed school lunches.
It was pioneered by FoodChain founder Becca Self, who has partnered with entrepreneur Wes Murry, co-founder of Castle & Key Distillery, and is now president of Hunsicker, the venture studio that created Packed.
Self, in an interview, said that as they looked at the school lunch landscape, she was struck by the fact that about 40 percent of students bring a lunch from home, even when the schools offer free or reduced-price options.
“Could we provide something convenient, wholesome and tasty for them? An alternative for a brought-from-home lunch, a school lunch subscription,” Self said.
In the fall of 2024, they tested idea of delivering the lunches to three private schools in Lexington.
Between Providence Montessori, Redwood Cooperative and Lexington Christian Academy, Packed is delivering about 400 lunches a week, according to Packed CEO Liza Green.
Families that sign up for a subscription go online and chose from a diverse menu of options and the food is prepared on Sunday in the Julietta Market kitchen inside Greyline Station on North Limestone and Loudon Avenue.
It’s delivered to the school, labeled with the child’s name, in time for lunch.
But in January 2025, Packed will launch a direct-to-consumer option: Families can sign up to receive up to five days of lunches delivered to their homes for students to take in as they choose.
What comes in a Packed lunch
The lunches are priced about $6.50-$9, depending on the school and portion size.
“From a price perspective, the fast-food vended options in the Lexington market are in the $5-$7 range,” Green said.
“Lunch packed form home is typically in about the $2 range, but with this you get value and convenience. ... The subscription is well-received by parents because they set it and forget it and never have to think about it again. There’s significant value in that.”
Self said that they piloted the lunches last spring to test demand and discovered that elementary age was “the sweet spot.” They expanded in the fall and are now serving about 40 percent of the potential school population, Green said.
Kids can pick from items such as Saucy Noodles, which is basically cold pasta with a meatless tomato sauce, chicken fried rice, beef burrito bowl, turkey sandwich and chicken wrap.
There are more vegetarian options such a sweet potato burrito bowls, veggie fried rice and superfood salad. And there’s even a snack plate with things to graze on. You can pick two side items from a selection of sweet and savory options including fresh fruit, crudite, salad, cocoa bites, pita chips and hummus and salty crunch.
What you don’t see on the menu: Pizza or nuggets.
The most popular item is the Saucy Noodles, which were actually suggested by kids.
Parents can let their kids make choices from the menu and know that all the options are good. Kids feel empowered by making their own decisions and are invested in what they eat, Green said.
Self said they’d like to work with more schools but getting into public schools is a challenge. Selling directly to homes is “a way to expand our customer base and our exposure. There’s a lot of inertia that has to be overcome in this space. If we can show parents it’s an appealing option, that provides momentum for schools,” she said.
