I give my students each a small index/flashcard to decorate as they choose. On the front of student closets, I put a small piece of poster board with library pockets... one per child. At the end of the closets, I have a two column "graphing" pocket chart with a card in each side--one HOT and one COLD. Each morning, students take their cards and put them into either the hot or cold column to show how they are eating lunch. Any cards not put into the chart are absent students. On the way to lunch, students put their cards back into the library pockets. One child each week gets to count the hot lunches and give the absence report to me to fill in out attendance/lunch slips. Fuss free and no hassle for me.