Healthy School Lunch Ideas

Back to school means back to packing lunches nonstop. You may start the first few days with good intentions, but it’s easy to run out of ideas quickly when you’re juggling so many other things such as work and extracurricular activities. Whether you send your children to school or homeschool, you’re still faced with what to pack that’s easy to prepare and healthy. 

If you’re stumped on where to start, here are a few quick and easy ideas that you can shop for in bulk and the kids can help prepare. 

• Veggies and hummus, grapes and a banana muffin
• String cheese, chickpeas with rice, fruit and dip 
• Cheddar cheese, crackers, ham bites, tomatoes and grapes for a lunchbox charcuterie (or a DIY lunchable). 
• Turkey wrap and salad
• Hard-boiled eggs, fruit salad and celery
• Sunflower butter sandwich, veggies, dip and fruit snacks
• Yogurt with honey, peas, cheese and grapes 
• Chicken salad, plantain chips and crackers 
• Veggie pasta, avocado, and mixed berries
• Granola, almond butter sandwich, strawberries and chocolate

Make sure to pack your lunches the night before school, if possible. This will save a great deal of time and stress each morning since the meal is already decided and prepared, so you can just grab and go. 

Keep it simple- no need for a picture-perfect lunchbox every day. Holiday themed treats are fun to offer on occasion, but the priority should be making sure your children get the nutrients they need in a filling lunch to power them through the rest of the school day. Decide on a few staples to keep at home that can be used for any lunch and have healthy dinners that you can take leftovers from. Preparing healthy school lunches doesn’t have to be overwhelming- shop for easy staple items and make it fun, too.