Healthy Back-To-School Lunches

Need inspiration now that the kids are starting back to school soon? My little guy starts his first Monday through Friday preschool this week. It will be the first time ever that he will be apart from me on a daily basis (it’s only 3 hours a morning but still will be a big change for us). Luckily I don’t have to worry about packing his lunch yet, but if you do, this post is for you!

If you missed the previous posts I’ve written on Healthy Kid Lunches you should really review those – I’ve linked to them down below. Whether your child is home with you or away at school he/she still needs to eat healthy so really this applies to everyone with kids (that eat solid food at least).

I try to incorporate one entree option with one or two snack options. Sometimes I just combine 3 snack options to make a meal. If your child is in daycare and you pack their lunch, chances are the facility will heat up their food. Not everyone has this option, but don’t hesitate to try things because you think they won’t eat it if it’s not warmed up. Based on experience, my kids and myself will eat anything cold or room temperature. Give it a try!

Healthy Entree Ideas

• Pasta Salad: combine choice of pasta, cheese, variety of meat (chicken, ham, turkey, egg), veggies
• Sandwiches: hummus, turkey, ham, egg & cheese, sunbutter & jelly (a good alternative for the nut-free schools)
• Chicken Drumsticks: kids love these cold from a rotisserie chicken
• Homemade “Lunchables”: whole grain crackers, cheese cubes, turkey/ham/roast beef
• Cold pizza: use a bagel, pita or leftover pizza for this lunch
• Tacos: breakfast tacos, ground turkey or beef, bean & cheese, chicken with lettuce, tomato, cheese (all can be eaten cold)
• Leftover Hamburger on Whole Wheat Bun: if making for dinner, buy extra meat with plans on sending one in your kid’s lunch
• Cobb Salad: Fill one tupperware with crunchy romaine, chunks of ham/turkey/chicken, avocado chunks, croutons, cheese, cherry tomatoes and a separate mini tupperware with dressing of choice

Healthy Snack Ideas

• Yogurt: buy the lowest sugar kind you can find
• Raw Veggies with side of ranch
• Fruit Salad: mixture of your kid’s favorite fruit cut up
• Whole Fruit: plums, peaches, small apples, cuties
• Trail Mix: combine cereal, dried fruit, pretzels
• Homemade Muffins: make on a weekend and freeze; incorporate whole wheat flour and fruits/veggies such as Carrot Raisin, Zucchini, Blueberry, Apple, Banana
• Homemade Granola Bars
• Yogurt Parfaits: transfer yogurt to tupperware. In a separate bag provide berries and Grape Nuts or Granola to mix into yogurt
• Cheese Sticks or Cheese Cubes & Crackers

Some ideas from previous posts:

Photos 1-3 from Healthy Kids Lunches Post

Pasta Salad with Edamame & Cheese cubes, Mixed Berries & Carrot Sticks

Hummus & Crackers, Hard Boiled Egg, Cucumber Slices & Yogurt

Ham & Cheese Roll-Up, Fruit & Cherry Tomatoes

Photos 4-6 from Healthy Kid Lunches- Part 2

Homemade Pepperoni Bagel Bite, Clementine, Crunchy Bell Pepper Sticks

Egg & Cheese Thin Sandwich Bread, Tortilla Chip with Avocado, Blueberries

Cheese Quesadilla, Taco Meat, Sauteed Bell Peppers, Apple

And don’t forget about stocking up on those reusable packing items- like cloth bags, bento boxes, tupperware, etc. Check out this post on earth friendly ways to pack your lunch! With a little planning, you too can pack a healthy lunch instead of relying on those pre-packed high sodium, high fat options from the grocery store. Even more planning to do over the weekend, but aren’t they worth it?!

I’ll have a few more ideas for you in the upcoming weeks! Stay tuned and happy packing!