Back to School Lunch Ideas

It's that time of year again when we must send our kids off with a box filled with food, hoping they will eat at least some of it in a chaotic lunchroom away from us.  Many kids are content with the same sandwich drink and snack each day while others crave variety.  As you embark on the lunch-making adventure, remember that your child has a very short time for lunch, so choose containers that your child can open on his/her own. EasyLunchboxes are a great option. If you are going to try something new, make sure there are some old favorites in the lunch box as well.  Be sure to include a protein and a carbohydrate as both are necessary to feel full longer.  

Here are some ideas to get you out of the sandwich rut:

a. Cook chicken nuggets, corn dogs, mozzarella sticks in the morning, wrap in tin foil or put in thermos-type container
b. Cut up veggies and dip
c. Crackers, cut up ham and cheese (you can buy these in the store or make your own for less)
d. Container of tuna, crackers or bread, cucumbers
e. Appetizer meal - send your child lots of little containers filled with small portions of pretzels, cheese cubes, dried fruit, grape tomatoes, yogurt covered raisins, small crackers, bite-sized cookies, cubed ham (EasyLunchboxes will make this easier)
f. Soup in a thermos, heat in morning
g. Pasta with sauce in thermos
h. Macaroni and cheese in thermos
i. Sandwiches, cut up in different shapes - could even cut like a puzzle
j. Elvis sandwich - spread peanut butter on banana bread
k. Raisin bread spread with cream cheese and jelly
l. Bagel or mini bagels with spreads or make your own mini bagel pizza
m. Pasta salad - mix pasta with cubed ham, shredded cheese, olives, veggies, etc and top with Italian dressing
n. Salad - you can get salad mixing containers like the Original Salad Blaster 2ct that hold the salad underneath a container of dressing.  Press the button, shake, and eat
o. Keep cut up apple slices from browning by dipping in orange juice before you place in container.  
p. Yogurt and cinnamon graham crackers go well together
q. Tortilla roll up with cream cheese and jelly, ham and cheese, etc.
r. Tortilla chips and salsa or ranch dressing (or both mixed!)
s. Muffins - make a batch of muffins and freeze them so you have them as back up when you run out of fresh lunch ingredients.
t. There are a wide variety of cereal bars out there, many of which are very healthy.  Pair one with a yogurt and fruit.
 

Keep food cold by freezing a juice box and putting it in the lunch box in the morning.  It should thaw by lunch time.  

You don’t need to purchase everything individually portioned.  It can end up costing a lot.  Small containers and snack size bags are great for portioning.  Portion out the whole week at once and make lunch packing easier.

Throw in leftover birthday or holiday napkins and a little note for a special treat. 

Ellen Deebel has a BS in Early Childhood Education from Bucknell University and over 15 years of experience in the field, both as a teacher and administrator.  She focuses her time now as a mom to her two young children, alternately packing lunches and chauferring them to various activities.