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pita pizza, cucumber yogurt dip, berries, Mini Babybel cheese, apple chips, carrot and cucumber sticks
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School lunch. While summer is actually in sight (believe it or not) and I’m sure you can’t wait to not have to make and pack lunch every day, there’s still a few months of school to get through. As those of you who follow me on Facebook and Instagram know, I’ve been posting a picture of my kids’ school lunches every day for years there, and so to help you get through this last long stretch until summer, today I’m sharing a bunch of my favorite lunchbox combo ideas here on Weelicious.
You can pack these recipes in separate containers in a brown bag, or in reusable bento style containers like these from “Planet Box, Laptop Lunches or Get Yubo.
Scroll to the bottom to see some of my favorite tips for making school lunch unbelievably easy. And if you’re still in need of more inspiration, you can always pick up a copy of my book, Weelicious Lunches or leave a comment below telling me some of your favorite lunch box idea for a chance to win one of two signed copies. I love learning new tricks!
olive tapenade cream cheese sammies, yogurt w/ honey, kiwi, strawberries, broccoli salad, freeze dried strawberry
brown rice w/ sesame seeds, Mini Babybel cheese, mango, watermelon, rice crackers, vegwee dip w/ carrots
baked blueberry doughnut, chickpeas, grapes, roast vegetables, salami
crispy chicken nuggets, corn wheels, homemade potato chips, donut peach, figs
PB&J sushi sandwiches, shaved veggie salad, berries, rice crispy balls, edamame
faux nutella matzo sammie, green hummus, carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, Asian pear, dried apricots
mexican fried rice, cheese cubes, Mini Babybel cheese, carrots, berries, olives
corn dog mini muffins, oatmeal raisin cookies, hearts of palm, cucumbers, passion fruit & mandarins
lentils, quinoa, sunflower butter bran muffins, grated carrots, pickles, strawberries, blueberries
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yogurt, salami, passion fruit, blackberries, avocado w/ lime, Way Better Snacks sweet potato tortilla chipsBob’s Red Mill Granola
cheesy meatloaf bites, strawberry fruit leather, corn w/parmesan cheese, pomegranate seeds & orange ginger cookies
black beans, rice, maple roast veggies, spelt pumpkin muffins, melon, berries, dried strawberries
BBQ chicken bites, figs, plums, tomatoes, dried cherries, whole grain fruit-filled bars from Weelicious Lunches
Time saving tips for the night before_
* Cut up veggies and serve alone or alongside hummus, salad dressing or your child’s favorite dip.
* Wash whole fruits
* Cut up apples or pears and toss the slices with a squeeze of lemon or orange juice to prevent browning.
* Go in your fridge and peek through leftover containers for_
– brown rice that can be tossed with black beans or sesame seeds (for added protein).
– cooked pasta that can be mixed with pesto or tomato sauce and a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.
– chicken that you can slice and put inside a wrap, sandwich or serve on it’s own with some BBQ sauce for dipping.
– baked sweet potatoes simply on their own make a fabulous hand held meal.
* When you bake cookies, freeze a few baked or unbaked cookies first on cookie sheets (so they don’t stick together) and then transfer them to labeled zipper bags. Pop a few out and quickly bake them whenever you need an easy sweet treat.
And no matter what, always try and make sure lunch is balanced by including a fruit, vegetable, protein and carbohydrate!
This post contains affiliate links for which I receive payment. While I receive compensation as a brand ambassador, all opinions are my own.
We cut shapes out of vegetables like flowers from red peppers or cucumbers. My kids like it when the veggies are different than expected like extra large “gnawing” carrots, purple potatoes and watermelon radishes from the farmers market.
I love bean dips – like hummus – with lots of veggies and whole-grain pita on the side for dipping!
I always like a homemade yogurt parfait, piece of fruit, and salad with fresh veggies for my lunches!
Heatlthy snacks – roasted chickpeas, fresh popcorn, WASA crackers & cream cheese, cucumbers & cream cheese sandwich (cucumbers as ‘bread’), whole wheat carrot muffins. LOVE the ideas listed above, and would LOVE a signed copy of your book!
I love anything that will fit in a mini muffin tin. Two of my faves from this site are the apple, sausage stuffing bites and chicken parmesan meatloaf bites. Although if I’m really in a pinch, whatever we had for dinner that night, gets rolled up in a wrap for lunches!
My kids don’t like dates, but if I put an almond in the middle and a dark chocolate chip in each end, they will eat them. My son loves energy balls and hard boiled eggs. My daughter likes pepperoni (or salami) tacos, just a slice folded around a bit of cream cheese. Baby tomatoes and red grapes are always a hit.
love these suggestions!
My daughter has gotten involved in helping pack her lunch, and subsequently she eats more of what she takes.
My kids love to have a variety of fruit, so we cut a bunch up at the beginning of the week.
My kids love mini-corn muffins with a piece of hot dog baked inside.
This is amazing! My oldest is starting to branch out and enjoy more veggies, but my kindergartner is in a rut.
Yayy! This is exactly what I was looking for! So many different lunch ideas! Thanks for putting this together!!
My son starts Kindy in the fall so I don’t have any good tips, but the book’s really going to come in handy (especially since he has a nut allergy and I feel he’s safer if I make it myself).
We use the PlanetBox and I put tuna salad in the large round container and crackers (in one of the side spots) so the kids can make their own sandwiches. Yum!
My son begins kindergarten in mid-August and with multiple food allergies, it is tough to be creative 100% of the time. He is allergic to peanuts, dairy and eggs, so it is a challenge finding, or preparing foods that a) he likes and b) safe for him. It’d be great if your website and book addressed food allergies more often and provided alternatives for the recipes you make. I’m always looking to learn from the best! Thanks for all that you do! #healthyeating
In preparation for kindergarten, we’ve been trying out lunch ideas. A few favorites are PBJ on tortillas and toothpick skewers of cherry tomato, yellow pepper, cheese cubes and olives.
My daughter is all about smoked salmon right now, so smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich bites are her fave!