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Twin Cities Mom Collective

Easy, Healthy Lunchbox Ideas | A Mom’s Back-To-School Resource

Easy, Healthy Lunchbox Ideas | A Mom's Back-To-School Resource | Twin Cities Moms Blog

 

It’s that time of year again, in case you couldn’t tell from your Facebook newsfeed.

The first day of school. New shoes. Haircuts. “First day of school” signs. Bus stops. Sharpened #2 pencils. Lunchboxes.

It happened in our home this week, my daughter left for kindergarten. And although it was a little sad to see her leave (okay, who am I kidding- it was super sad and I cried the whole walk home from the bus stop), in a way it is also nice to be back in a routine.

I think every mom on the planet agrees with me on this.
Honestly, it was kind of strange going through the get-ready-for-school routine again the night before. I felt a little rusty, like I haven’t done this a million times before! What kind of shoes should she wear to school? Can I pack peanut butter in her lunch or not? What time does school start again, because I totally forgot.
I’m happy to report that Callie made it to the first day of kindergarten on-time, and that we didn’t forget a thing. She got off the bus with a smile and a giant hug for me and her dad, so I would say it was a success!
Now that school has started, moms around the country can all take a deep breath, take a shower alone, and go to the grocery store with a few less children. And while you are there, you might want to stock-up on some items for your children’s lunchbox. Because if you are like me, you will be packing from one to four lunches, five times a week. That adds up to a LOT of lunches!
I’ve put together a handy resource of healthy and easy food to pack in a lunch, as well as some helpful tips that I have learned along the way (and am still learning). Because sometimes I run out of ideas. Generally, I pack one or two protein options, one fruit, one vegetable, and one snack per lunch, per day.
1. Pack a rainbow. I try to include two or three different colors. It makes lunch both pretty and healthy. And I’m a fan of fresh produce when possible.
2. Pack lunches the night before, and in batches. Packing the night before makes the morning way less stressful. I try to make two days’ lunches in one day. Then I get a day off every other day. 🙂 Obviously, this only works with food that will stay fresh. So don’t pack pretzels next to the pineapple.

3. Make a lunch-packing station. I have a small area in my cupboard that is designated just for lunch tools –  lunch containers, plastic cutlery, cupcake liners (more on this), toothpicks, water bottles, sandwich-cutters and cookie-cutters, plastic bags, etc.

Easy, Healthy Lunchbox Ideas | A Mom's Back-To-School Resource | Twin Cities Moms Blog

 

4. Make it pretty.  I like to use fun shaped sandwich-cutters and cookie-cutters, sprinkles, toothpicks, mini skewers, disposable dip cups, party napkins, etc. Anything to make it pleasant-looking. I have also found that cupcake liners are convenient to separate foods, and to add some color.

5.  Find a reusable lunchbox with individual compartments. I love the bento-box idea for kids lunches – incorporating a lot of different healthy foods that kids can choose from. I have used both Ziplock Divided Rectangle Containers and Rubbermaid Lunchblox, but this style of plastic containers can pretty much be found anywhere. PotteryBarnKids also has lots of cute, practical lunchbox containers too.

6.  Pack water. After one nightmarish trip to the dentist, I stopped buying juice boxes for my kids. Instead, we invested in metal (BPA-free) water bottles (we went with Sigg). It saves money at the grocery store, and at the dentist. Why didn’t I consider this before? (please note, some pictures below were snapped BEFORE our trip to the dentist!)

7. Have fun! Pinterest is FULL of ideas for packing creative kids lunches. I love surprising the kids with holiday-themed lunches like an easter egg lunch (see picture below),  everything green for st. patty’s day, or a “turkey” sandwich. The sky is the limit on how creative you can be. I don’t spend a ton of time on this, but if it’s quick, I say go for it!

8. Love, Mom. Don’t forget to add a note!

Easy, Healthy Lunchbox Ideas | A Mom's Back-To-School Resource | Twin Cities Moms Blog

Here is my resource of kid-friendly foods. I hope you find it helpful! Most options are gluten-free. 🙂 Obviosuly, it’s not exhaustive, but it should give you a place to start!

Protein (choose 1-2)
hard-boiled eggs
grilled chicken or chicken satay
deviled eggs
hummus with veggie sticks
ham or turkey roll-up with cheese
string cheese, Baby Bell, or Laughing Cow cheese
guacamole with corn chips
yogurt
edamame
nuts: cashews, peanuts, almonds, macadamia nuts
cottage cheese
mixed olives
peanut butter, sunbutter, almond butter on a ricecake
tunafish salad
egg salad
beef jerky
hot dogs, sliced
salami roll-ups with toothpick and cheese cube
black beans, garbanzo beans, etc.
tortilla roll-up
Fruit (choose 1)
apples
pears
clementines
cherry tomatoes
pineapple
mango
grapes
applesauce
melon
kiwi
Vegetables (choose 1 or 2)
carrots
celery
sugar snap peapods
cucumber slices
lettuce salad
broccoli salad
frozen mixed vegetables
Snacks (choose 1-2)
raisins
popcorn
homemade muffins
crackers, pretzels or Pirate’s Booty
muffins
granola or granola bar
dried fruit
freeze-dried fruit
pasta salad
pickles

Easy, Healthy Lunchbox Ideas | A Mom's Back-To-School Resource | Twin Cities Moms Blog

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4 comments

Cindy September 4, 2014 at 7:40 AM

Very cute!!!

Reply
Nealy September 4, 2014 at 7:52 AM

Thanks mom! 🙂

Reply
Suzanne Cartmill September 4, 2014 at 9:18 AM

My hubby has done lunches in the past and this makes me think I should take it over. Not that I can do it better, but I can do it healthier and with the right portions, he adds too much food and that adds up in $$.

Thanks for a beautiful post, Nealy!

Reply
Lisa MacRae June 14, 2017 at 8:08 AM

I’m always afraid lunch will spoil and the kids will get sick if I pack perishables, even with the little cooler freezable packs. Any recommendations?
Also, my high schoolers have to pack clear water bottles, but that’s probably an upper classman thing 😊
Thank you for your great ideas. I’m going to use your list of proteins, veg, fruit, etc. as we usually just pack too many carbs in fear of food spoilage.

Reply

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