Whether your kids are going back to the classroom or doing distance learning (or both, like us!), it’s time to start thinking about “back to school” again. And that means you’ll need some healthy packed lunch ideas.
So, for those who’d like to create structure by packing lunches in advance—no matter where your kids are schooling—here is the latest installment in my School Lunch Roundup series! Get your little ones involved by asking them which items in these pictures they’d like to see in their next packed lunch.
First Though, A Plan To Help!
Before we dive in, I want to make sure you saw that we are once again offering our uber-popular packed lunch meal plans (for two weeks only)!
Complete with what to buy, what to prep, and what to pack (including colorful pictures), our Real Lunches, Real Easy! eBooks are so easy to follow that your kids could roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help!
Whether you get one version or all four, this is a super simple way to create structure and routine this school year. But don’t delay, because they’re only available until August 24th. See a sample menu below, and learn more here.
School Lunch Roundup 17
Now, here are those real food healthy packed lunch ideas I promised for inspiration!
- Whole-wheat bagel (from a local shop) with cream cheese, cucumbers & purple carrot shavings on it
- Homemade chicken nuggets
- Leftover roasted brussels sprouts
- Cornichons (baby pickles)
- Salad made from Cilantro and Lime Coleslaw, from my Fast & Fabulous cookbook, topped with Pork Carnitas
- Whole-grain crackers with sliced manchego cheese
- Leftover roasted carrots
- Breakfast burritos
- Fruit mix (apples, honeydew melon, oranges, grapes)
- Homemade banana bread
- Popcorn
- Spinach Lasagna
- Pepperoni slices
- Oatmeal cookie energy bites
- Apples
- Homemade Tomato Bisque
- Hummus/cheese/spinach sandwiches on whole-wheat pita
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Veggies with hummus
- Whole-wheat zucchini bread
- Popcorn
- Plain yogurt with some pure maple syrup and pomegranate seeds
- Homemade granola to mix in
- Grapes
- Popcorn
- Homemade cereal bar (made with nut butter)
- Roasted broccoli with a little honey mustard
- Veggies (bell peppers and cucumber) with hummus
- White Bean Dip (from my first cookbook ) with blue tortilla chips
- Apple sandwiches
- Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bites (from On a Budget cookbook)
- Homemade chicken nuggets (from On a Budget cookbook)
- Fruit (kiwi, strawberries, & oranges)
- Popcorn
- Grilled cheese on whole-wheat
- Frozen peas
- Orange
- Hummus with whole-wheat crackers, tomatoes, and cheese
- Apple/PB sandwiches
See any new things you’d like to try in these pictures? I’d love to hear in the comments. Share your healthy packed lunch ideas, too!
Hi, these look awesome–just wondering what you do for the “warm” items, like grilled cheese, lasagna, etc.? I do prefer to make lunches on Sunday for the whole week, so am wondering if you just send these things cold or are you making these lunches in the morning, and they stay warm for the day? I usually use the Ziploc divided containers which fit exactly in their lunchboxes, so putting those warm things in a thermos/hot cup doesn’t really work for us.
Hi, we would recommend heating them up in the morning before school and putting them in a thermos. – Nicole
Great ideas as always! My favorite lunch recipe is whole-wheat bagel (from a local shop) with cream cheese, cucumbers & purple carrot shavings on it. best lunch recipe.
I have tried your wonderful little lunches for my kids and me we all really enjoyed them and they were perfect. They helped us through our national healthy veggie month and we got lots of protein also lots of veggies. It was fun making them and now we are making lots of stuff like that very regularly it really helped our little two year old boy by making pictures with his food. All of us want to say thank you for making such yummy food ,which are healthy, and we will always look at your recipes first. Bye!
Hi! Thanks for sharing. We’re so glad to hear that you’ve been able to benefit so much from healthy lunches. – Nicole
Great ideas as always! Where are you finding whole wheat pretzel sticks? I used to get the oat bran ones from Earthfare (miss that place so much) and haven’t had luck elsewhere
We recommend Unique Sprouted “Splits” Pretzel Original. These aren’t sticks but they are whole-grain. – Nicole
I made a new Pinterest board just for these! I always get excited about packing lunch (our daughter’s school actually doesn’t provide lunch at all because they are so small) but I inevitably run out of ideas.