What to Pack your Kids for School Lunch This Year
The new school year has started and you might be feeling a little rusty in the lunchbox prep department. If your child takes a lunchbox to school instead of paying for school lunch, you might be opting for this route because you either want to save some money or you want to ensure your child is eating high quality foods and nutrients. But if your child gets tired of the same old same old and you’re sending them to school with boring, blah food - you can bet they’re either not going to eat enough, trade some of their items with a friend’s possibly less nutritious foods, or find a way to spend cash on snacks. It’s up to you to keep them happy with a tasty lunch they can look forward to! If you’re fresh out of ideas, here are some lunch ideas to keep them loving the lunches you make for them:Â
Quesadillas
Everyone takes sandwiches to school - that’s what we were talking about when it came to BLAH food. Switch up the boring usual with a quesadilla instead! They’re fairly easy to make, portable, can be made in a healthy way with the options to use whole wheat or corn (gluten-free) tortillas; there are vegan cheese options if your child is either lactose intolerant or vegan; you can trick them into eating their veggies by stuffing it full of them, and you can add whichever proteins you want. Whether it’s a chicken quesadilla, steak quesadilla, ground beef, mushroom, black bean, tomato, or whatever else they happen to like!Â
Mac and Cheese/ Mac and Cheese Muffin
What kid doesn’t love mac and cheese? Just be sure you add some nutritious veggies and/or proteins - a simple starch noodle + cheese won’t be enough to give your child the vitamins they need and might leave them feeling heavy and sleepy after. Adding broccoli, tomatoes, artichokes, mushrooms or whatever veggies your kids actually likes. If you’re trying to keep them away from traditional starches, try using vegetable macaroni instead of the regular kind. Pack the mac and cheese in a tupperware, bake it into a casserole/pie consistency then send them to school with a slice of it wrapped in foil or tupperware; or bake them in a cupcake or muffin sheet so it retains a compact shape, easy to take with them.Â
Burger Sliders
Fire up the grill the day before and infuse a nice, fiery flavor into some traditional burger patties. Or, again, if your child maintains a meatless diet, there are plenty of veggie based buger patty options you can substitute. Add some dijon, pesto, chimichurri or a special sauce to the burger so it has a nice, moist layer of flavor - add some tomatoes, romaine lettuce or arugula, cheese, pickles and/or whatever other fillings your child likes. This is a much better option than boring PB& J! They’re also easy to pack and portable.Â
Mini Quiches
Does your child like eggs? Have them try out a quiche and see if they like it. It’s the consistency of a pie and allows you to pack some veggies and proteins in there. They’re super easy to make, especially with a muffin tray.Â
Other items to try out:Â
- Chicken and quinoa pita wraps
- Chicken, rice, sweet or crunchy/salted fried plantains, and beans (black beans or kidney beans)
- Chickpea stew with potatoes, carrots and indian seasonings
- Lasagna (with or without meat)
- Pastas in a tupperware (Ravioli, gnocchi, linguini, etc)
- Bacon, cheddar, tomato puff pinwheels
- Vegetable Frittatas
- Chicken or fish wraps
- Tacos- you may want to wrap the shells separate so they don’t get soggy
- Chicken or turkey
- Croissan-wich with cheese, tomato and lettuce
If you and your family are into ethnic foods and you are in the process of teaching your child to have a worldly palate, you can have them try lunches inspired from different cultures. When they come home,you can ask them what they liked about lunch that day and tell them a little background on each cuisine their lunch was inspired from. It can be easy for kids to keep a narrow outlook on food and stick to what they know, so this is an opportunity to have them try a wide range of flavors.
Always keep in mind, your kid most likely has a sweet tooth. Don’t ignore it, give them a little something to look forward to! A gluten free cookie, some berries or a tropical fruit, a mini muffin, or trail mix are some good options for sweet.
