Here’s another installment in my School Lunch Roundup series! I’ve been sharing my kids’ lunches on Facebook and Instagram so far this school year, but not everyone sees everything. So here they are all in one spot (along with a few extras). I know some readers love to sit down and look at these pics with their kids so they can point out what they want (and, more importantly, what they’ll actually eat!). So I hope these ideas help. :)
If you’re new here, be sure to check out these resources as well:
- School Lunch Photo Gallery
- Lunch Box Review
- Recipe Index by Name or Recipe Search by Photo
- My first cookbook and upcoming cookbook – both have more lunch box ideas and recipes
So, without further ado, here you go!
Real Food School Lunch Ideas
- Triple-decker whole-wheat waffle sandwich (from my freezer stash) with cream cheese, cinnamon, and raisins
- Small cheddar wheel
- Apples
- Sugar snap peas
- Hard-boiled egg
- Pita bread with melted cheese
- Tomato dipping sauce
- Oranges
- Spinach salad with Parmesan cheese and avocado oil
- Slow cooker black bean soup (that I made overnight while we were sleeping – recipe will be in my new Fast & Fabulous cookbook)
- Sour cream
- Grated cheese
- Guacamole
- Bell peppers
- Blue tortilla chips (a treat since they are deep-fried)
- Tangy whole-wheat pasta salad with greens (recipe will be in my new Fast & Fabulous cookbook)
- Organic ham (Applegate brand) and cheese roll ups
- Apples
- Plain yogurt mixed with a little pure maple syrup and topped with frozen pomegranate seeds
- Homemade tomato bisque (previously made and defrosted) with whole-wheat noodles mixed in
- Colored carrots
- Homemade whole-grain cornbread (also previously made and defrosted)
- Spinach salad topped with a hard-boiled egg, Parmesan, and a simple olive oil and lemon dressing
- Whole-wheat pasta salad (with bits of leftover flank steak from dinner, tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and Parmesan)
- Bell pepper assortment (from the farmers’ market)
- Rippled red potato chips (Jackson’s Honest brand)
- Cheddar cheese
- Hummus for dipping
- Peanut butter and honey sandwich (yes, it’s allowed at our school)
- Grapes
- Caprese salad (with red and yellow tomatoes and peaches – yum!)
- Leftover roasted potatoes (served cold)
- Warm slow cooker potato soup (from my first cookbook)
- Cheese & sour cream to go on top of the soup
- Creamy kale Caesar salad
- Apples
- Small chunk of whole-grain bread
- Lunchbox quiches (from my first cookbook)
- Simple green salad
- Apple/pecan bread
- Plain yogurt mixed with a little pure maple syrup, dried fruit, and pumpkin seeds
- Frozen green smoothie pops (partially defrosted by lunchtime)
- Apples
- Popcorn
- Plain yogurt mixed with a little pure maple syrup and frozen pomegranate seeds
- Homemade whole-wheat madeleines
- Leftover Sloppy Joes
- Whole-wheat bun
- Simple salad
- Leftover whole-wheat waffles (cut into strips)
- Plain yogurt mixed with a little pure maple syrup and blueberries (for dipping the waffle strips)
- Egg salad (recipe will be in my new Fast & Fabulous cookbook)
- Melon
Please share your favorite real food school lunch ideas in the comments!
