When the kids head back to school, things can get pretty hectic. There is always so much to do and not a lot of time to take care of things. In addition to establishing a good nighttime routine and getting the kids up and out the door in time for school in the mornings, you have the challenge of packing your child a nutritious lunch. Here are five healthy meal ideas for back to school lunches you have to try!
You have to be careful to meet the school’s requirements for a healthy school lunch so what you send to school with your child is important. You want the food to be nutritious, but at the same time, it has to be something your child will actually eat.
5 Healthy Meal Ideas for Back to School Lunches
1. Pack finger food
Put together a variety of fruits and healthy vegetables for snacks such as baby carrots, bananas, strawberries and blueberries for your child’s lunch. These foods are healthy and they’re fun to eat so kids love them.
2. Put together your own lunchables
Fresh sliced chicken or turkey, cheese and whole wheat crackers make a great lunch that most kids, even picky eaters will love. You can also make homemade pizza for dinner and send a slice of it to school the next day.
3. Pasta and salad
Make a bow-tie pasta salad with veggies and serve with 1 cup baby greens salad with 2 tablespoons low-fat dressing. Definitely a healthy and quick lunch idea that most kids will love.
4. Veggies and hummus
Put your child’s favourite veggies and 2 tablespoons hummus. You can also add whole wheat pita bread or crackers. Yummy and nutritious lunch!
5. Fiesta meal
Perfect for a fun lunch idea: 1 cup of bean salad, 1/2 cup of fruits, whole-grain tortilla chips with 2 tablespoons salsa, and cube shape reduced-fat cheddar cheese.
Be sure to add a water to your child’s lunch so he’ll also have something healthy to drink.
Do you have any Healthy Meal Ideas for Back to School Lunches to add to these? Comment below!
Photo on top: Photo credit: sherimiya ♥ via Foter.com / CC BY-NC
Finger foods are key especially for those children just starting out at school in JK or SK. And making sure they are lunches that do not create a huge mess. my oldest is autistic and very picky with her meals (we are currently working on expanding what she eats) for now, I slice up apples, grapes, oranges, cheese and keilbasa and she is happy with all those items. as she gets older i will be able to get creative with things and add more to her lunches
Thanks for sharing your tips!
I don’t have to worry about making lunches anymore, but when I was making them the girls liked taking wraps
Simple, health and enjoyable lunches I see
I think my daughter will enjoy the homemade lunchables. This will be her first year staying at school for lunch so we are both excited!
Super ideas and I adore that face in the Bento lunch. 🙂
I love trying to get him to help – he really does eat more that way. And I love that lunch box. We’re going to do a bit of shopping today and I’m hoping to find something similar!
Thanks for the healthy lunch ideas
Great ideas & healthy too!
My daughter loves finger foods at lunch!
All great ideas. I like to put leftover chili in a thermos as well.
These look like great school lunches
those are all great ideas, I know we all need variety and fun in our lunches.
These are such great school lunches. I always just had a sandwich and fruit when I was going to school.
Me too lol!
These cold lunches are not suitable or healthy for Ottawa school children in winter.
I was lucky my girls loved taking leftovers from dinner in their lunches. I wish we had containers like that when they were going to school.
I don’t have to pack lunches anymore as my kids are now adults but it’s certainly a challenge especially if you have a picky eater
As it’s that time of the year again these are some great ideas for lunches