Today’s all about back to school traditions over on my family blog, so I thought we could share lunchbox ideas over here!
Kensington is my child who likes the same thing in her lunch every single day…but Smith and Ashby want variety (which can be hard!).
Here are some of my go to ideas, but I would love to hear yours!! Please comment below and share your favorite lunchbox idea. I want my kiddos to be excited when they open up their lunch this school year :).
Instead of using bread, I’ll make my Ham & Cheese Biscuit Sliders. The only thing I change when packing this for school is that I omit the honey drizzle.
Smith loooooves pepperoni! My Tortellini Pasta Salad has lots of pepperoni tucked inside, so it’s a great little lunch. I always pack a disposable fork but I guarantee you, my kid eats this with his fingers :).
And our Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats are the favorite lunchbox dessert around here :).
A few other things I do:
1. I write notes on their napkins every single day (and draw a few little pictures too!).
2. I pop popcorn for a little crunch.
3. I cut out shapes in their sandwiches that correspond to the season (hearts for Valentine’s Day, pumpkins for Halloween, trees for Christmas, etc).
4. I let them make their own trail mix blend on the bulk nut aisle of our grocery store and then we bag it up for their snack at school (they like that they have their own special blend).
5. I sometimes use Nutella or vanilla almond butter for a little change on their sandwich.
Okay…what are some of your ideas??? Please comment below and share your favorite lunchbox ideas! I want to be a little more creative this school year.
xo
Narci says
Great lunch ideas!!! That pasta salad looks delish!!
Paula says
I like roll up sandwiches! Meat is great, but my favorite is peanut butter with grated apples or applesauce and cinnamon. YUM! You could even drizzle honey. 🙂
Amy Madill says
I have so much trouble with lunches! Here are a few of my favourites:
-egg salad sandwiches
-pasta salad (pasta, cucumber, peppers, feta, sometimes a bit of quinoa)
-leafless greek salad (usually just dressing, red pepper, cucumber and feta)
-spinach salad with whatever vegetables I have on hand
-deli sliced ham, provolone, and basil pesto quesadillas (my very favourite!!)
-a hot dog (you can package the bun separately and keep the hot dog in a thermos until lunch time)
-anything in a thermos (soup, noodles, oatmeal, etc.)
-cereal (pack milk in a cold thermos)
-a bunch of snacks (crackers/cheese, apple, pretzels)
Would love to see more lunch ideas on the blog! 🙂
Megan K. says
Do you kids eat a packed lunch everyday or do they eat school lunch sometimes? This year, I plan on packing my kiddos lunch daily..wish me luck! I loved your ideas and plan to check back and read more!!
Megan
Charming Lucy says
I love the pasta salad idea! My daughter will start high school this year and I still pack her lunch every day! She is a competitive dancer, and a vegetarian, so packing her lunch is like a full time job(: I am always searching for ideas! I am excited to see what else your readers share. I have one idea – I place one layer of frozen peas in a small tupperware container. Then I add a layer of cheese and croutons. You can also add diced ham cubes. Then I pack a small container of salad dressing. She adds the dressing to the container at lunch time – shake it up a bit and you have a great salad. The frozen peas defrost and help keep the rest of the lunch cold. I cant wait to get more ideas!! Thanks! Susan
LLP says
Kings Hawaiian Rolls are great for sandwiches too. 🙂
Laura Parsons says
We do a lot of roll ups, macaroni with ham (her school has a microwave), homemade lunchables – she doesn't care for crackers so we will have pretzels or some pita to go with the meat and cheese. Hummus and dippers is a huge hit with my girl!
Jaren says
One of my kiddos' favorite lunch box treats are Smoothie Cups. I make a strawberry banana smoothie, pour them into little cups with lids, freeze, and put them in their lunch box that morning. By lunch time, they are ready to eat with a spoon. We even do a chocolate Oreo version too. They LOVE them!
Jami says
Can you share your smoothie recipes? These sound delicious!
Blakeley Spann says
My kids like chicken salad sandwiches, turkey and cheese sandwiches on different types of bread or rolls, soups, homemade lunchables, and sliced ham or turkey.
Hope says
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2015/01/02/real-food-tips-recipes-freeze-school-lunches/
100 Days of Real Food is a great blog about cutting out processed foods. But what I like most about it is her posts about school lunches. She also has some discounts listed for great lunch boxes!
The Stantons says
My little ones like sliced apples. I cut them, put them in a ziplock bag and add apple juice (a small amount). I seal the bag and shake to coat the apples. Fresh apples that don't brown!
My collection of cupcake liners are fun for the crunchy pretzels, goldfish. I use the in the containers below.
These sandwich cutters are a favorite:
http://www.amazon.com/Lunch-Punch-Sandwich-Cutters-Whimsical/dp/B003Y7JSAE/ref=pd_sim_79_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1VSNRHC3JH7KJ24TA23B
These are not leakproof…but they are my clear choice for packing lunches:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004S129AQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Carrie says
We use those divided containers that glad used to make. I put hummus or some dip in the tiny part and then veggies in another and then a main part of the meal in the bigger section. I only have to pack for my oldest and she is fairly set on sandwiches but sometimes I can slip in a big salad or favorite left overs. I also do make your own English muffin pizzas by putting the toppings in the divided container. I use the silicone muffin liners sometimes too. I have to share that I once tried to cut her sandwich to look like a pumpkin. I used two mini m&ms for the eyes. My daughter came home complaining that it was weird and I had a reminder from the teacher that no candy is allowed in school. Goodness gracious.