Quick and Simple School Lunches
As the new school year approaches, I’m beginning to stress out about “What’s for lunch?” My kids are simple, yet not so simple. They are light lunch eaters, but yet constantly tell me they are tired of their lunch. These are some simple and quick school lunch ideas I’ve come up with.
Ok so up in the Northeast where I’m located, school doesn’t start for another month…THANKFULLY! As you may know, I’m a teacher too so I have a very bittersweet feeling about the beginning of school. Yes…let’s get my kids back to a routine! and No…does that mean I have to too? Cool, not cool.
Either way, I’ve started thinking about school lunches already. Unfortunately for me, my kids will not eat school lunch. I mean, I get it some days, but c’mon! You can eat school lunch sometimes. Fortunately for me, my kids do not want a whole spread before them. They are simple eaters when it comes to lunch, but that being said…it’s still difficult creating semi-healthy lunches that will hold them over til they get home.
Below are a few ideas that I have for the new year. I’ve used some before, and some will be new. While I can’t say I haven’t tried, I totally do not do cute cuts and smiley faces on my kids’ food. Sorry, but I don’t have time in the morning. I just throw it all in the box. What’s great about using my favorite stainless steel bento boxes is that the food does not spill over into the other compartments and with an ice pack in their lunch bag, everything stays chilled until lunchtime. I usually mix up fruits/veggies each week for variety (plus I like to buy what’s on sale!). Stainless steel snack cups are great too if your child has snack time.
NOTE: If your kids will eat normally hot foods unheated, then your options can expand. My older daughter is a fan of eating pasta, pizza, and basically anything else room temperature. I cannot do this AT ALL, and neither can my younger daughter…but my older prefers this. She gets it from her grandma. I’d eliminate the ice pack for these occasions.
Option #1
Guacamole
Tortilla chips
Cheese cubes
Strawberries
Option #2
Rolled Salami
Mozzarella balls with grape tomatoes and basil
Baby pickles
Grapes
Option #3
Tuna salad on a bed of lettuce
Cucumbers
Grape tomatoes
Crackers
Option #4
Hummus
Pita
Cucumbers
Mandarin
Option #5
Hard boiled eggs
Pasta salad
Mixed berries
Option #6
Chicken pieces with BBQ sauce
Corn
Watermelon
Option #7
Seed or nut butter
Raspberries
Apple
Option #8
Mini bagel
Cream cheese spread
Breakfast sausage
Blueberries
Option #9
Meatballs
Pasta
Mozzarella
Fruit Salad
For drinks my one daughter loves her Capri Suns Roaring Waters and my other loves Nestle’s Splash Water.
Check out my Amazon list for other items I like to throw in as a snack or little extra:
Bada Bean Bada Boom - dried bean snacks — these were recommended by my daughter’s doctor and are really good!
Solely Organic Fruit Jerky - beef jerky with fruit. There are sooo many flavors and I am personally obsessed!
Nutella Biscuits - these are heavenly…just remember these are hazelnut, so they may not work for everyone.
Biscoff Cookies - these taste great with coffee—so maybe this is a mom snack. Though my daughter loves them.
Chocolate Quinoa Crisps - my daughter discovered these on a United Airlines flight and is obsessed.
Crunchy Roasted Edamame - because sometimes eating fresh edamame on the go isn’t practical.
Black Forest Fruit Snacks - might not be the healthiest option, but at the end of the day, all kids love fruit snacks.
Glazed Nuts - again, these contain nuts, but are a great energy booster if your child can have them!
Don’t get freaked out by the healthier choices here. Throw in a bag of chips or even Takis if it makes your kid happy. At the end of the day, they need to eat lunch. Luckily my kids will eat fruits and vegetables, so if they want to buy chips at school (fundraisers) or throw some in their book bag if we have any at home, I’m fine with it. My only request of them is to please eat the food I give you. Anything extra you eat is fine.