At this time of year, school is well under way, and it’s easy to get into a rut when it comes to packing healthy lunches for our kiddos. We don’t buy school lunches in our house except for rare exceptions when the kids really want something that’s on the menu, so with three kids and a husband who pack lunch every day, you do the math. That’s a lot of lunches!
Here’s a list of healthy eats to help change up your packed lunch routine. I’ve collected these ideas from posts I’ve read and suggestions in the comments section on similar posts I’ve written on my personal blog. I hope it’s helpful!
- peanut butter and raw honey or banana slices on whole wheat bread (homemade is best)
- tuna salad on whole wheat bread
- whole wheat tortilla wraps (Trader Joes makes yummy ones) with meat and cheese or veggies or whatever they like on it
- tortilla wraps with cream cheese with smoked salmon (hey, if they’ll eat it, go for it!)
- whole wheat bagels with cream cheese
- homemade whole grain muffins
- hummus with whole wheat pita bread
- pizza pitas — spread pizza sauce inside a whole wheat pita pocket, sprinkle shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese inside, include veggies or meats to top if desired
- guacamole with pita chips
- green salad (my daughter loves spinach salad; go figure)
- homemade chicken noodle soup in a thermos
- cooked whole wheat pasta with a cup of tomato sauce for dipping
- leftover dinner in a thermos; some dinners that are especially good left over are spaghetti, mac and cheese, soup, chili, and casseroles
- raw veggies such as carrot sticks, red pepper strips, cucumber slices, radishes, celery, cherry tomatoes (or is that a fruit?)
- fresh fruit such as grapes, oranges, pears, peaches, apples, kiwi
- whole milk yogurt (low fat dairy is not healthy, especially for growing children) without high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors or sugars with fruit or granola
- cheddar cheese slices
- mozzarella cheese sticks
- whole milk cottage cheese with fruit
- hard boiled eggs
- pretzels
- air popped popcorn or popcorn popped in coconut oil (we make this at home; it’s divine)
- trail mix (make your own; it’s cheaper, and you can control what goes into it)
- homemade granola bars (store bought granola bars are one step above a candy bar; homemade is so much better)
- homemade cookies
- water or milk to drink (I only use stainless steel water bottles now to avoid BPA)
What would you add to this list?
