lunch ideas

The new school year is upon us, and that means back to routines, alarm clocks, and check-lists. Probably right at the top of your list is making sure your kiddos have their lunches packed and ready to go when you are inevitably running out the door in the mornings. 

A few tips to pack school lunch like a #momboss: 

  • Pack ahead of time. Packing lunches every night can get laborious and annoying. After a long day with the running around of the children, and the working, and the cooking of the dinner, and the cleaning of all the things, and the homework, and the laundry…  the WORST is finally sitting on the couch for a hot second just to realize you haven’t packed the dang lunches. Find a day that works for you to pack those suckers ahead of time. 
  • What about mushy sandwiches, you ask? It is much quicker to slap some mayo on their already made and packed sandwiches than it is to pack them all the way from the beginning each day. (Or if your kid is anything like mine, he likes dry sandwiches (bleh) so it is a non-issue.) I might even consider finding individual mayo/mustard packets, at least for older kids. Just thinking out loud here…
  • Have the right equipment. All of the lunches below were packed using EasyLunchBoxes from Amazon. They are a pretty simple and cost-conscious option if you like the bento style boxes and also want to pack ahead of time. The little dippers that are recommended with them also work great for things that are saucy. I also used these silicone baking cups to keep things separated when I needed more compartments. If you aren’t a bento box kinda mom, individual containers and baggies work too!  My point… Just make sure you have what you need when you start! 
  • Keep a running list of the things your kids will actually eat so you’re not reinventing the wheel every lunch packing day. Hey, if they aren’t picky or complaining, packing them super similar lunches is OK and easier on you! Side note- There are a lot of cute lunch box ideas out there, but if you don’t have time for star shaped fruit cut outs and dinosaur sandwiches then… you are a totally normal mom and just feel good about packing them food. period. 

Onto the ideas! 

Here are 10 Fresh School Lunch Ideas:

Classic – Sandwich, cheese stick, watermelon, snap peas

Classic

Mini Pizzas! Mini pita bread, tomato sauce (canned is great), turkey pepperoni, shredded cheese, apple, cucumber slices. 

Mini Pizzas 

Roll-ups: Tortilla, cheese (melted just a bit), turkey or ham rolled up, veggies and ranch (good to dip the roll-up too!), berries.

Roll-ups

Homemade Lunchable: crackers, cheese slices, thick cut ham or turkey, veggies and ranch, applesauce.

Homemade Lunchable

Quick tip: My kids love these and they are a great option for dipping in nut butter! You can find them at Sprouts and Whole Foods near the baked goods, and HEB in the deli section!

Protein Box 1: snacking rounds, nut butter of choice, turkey or ham, cheese stick, veggies and ranch, berries.

Protein Box 1

Protein box 2: Boiled egg, snacking rounds, nut butter, cheese slices, apple, veggies.

Protein box 2

Nut butter and honey roll-ups: tortilla with nut butter and honey, cheese slices, apple, veggies and ranch.

Nut butter and honey roll-ups

Mini Pitas: Cut mini pitas in half and stuff with turkey or ham and cheese, veggies, and grapes.

Mini Pitas

Egg Salad: Quick egg salad with chopped eggs, mayo and relish, crackers, cheese slices, berries, and carrots.

Egg Salad

Pizza Pasta: mixing up the mini pizza idea – pasta, tomato sauce, chopped pepperoni, shredded cheese, veggies, and fruit salad.

Pizza Pasta

Wishing you many carefree couch sitting evenings, when you can enjoy a moment of silence instead of packing lunches! Happy school year, mommas!! 

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here