It’s officially back to school time for the kids, and that means waking up early and packing those all too familiar school lunches. If anything can become boring and monotonous, it’s the dreaded school lunch consisting of the same sandwich meat, a slice or two of cheese, and an uninspired bag of carrots as a snack. But packed lunches don’t have to be boring – you can apply the same ideas and innovation process that you do with creating interesting family meals to creating school lunches for the kiddos. And the best part is that it doesn’t require a whole lot of time or a whole lot of money.
Here’s some ideas and inspirations to help you get started.
- Chicken Salad Rolls – Sometimes all you need to do to shake things up a bit is modify how you prepare something. Instead of layering meat and vegetables on a roll, dice it and mix it together first. Chicken salad is super easy to make, but different texture and flavors make it a more interesting option than a slice or two of thin lunch meat.
- Cold Peanut Soba Noodles – Take that love for PB&J and try this great recipe for cold peanut soba noodles that almost all kids will love. A uniquely Asian inspired dish, cold peanut noodles are both sweet and savory, and a topping of shredded baked chicken provides a healthy lunch option.
- Smashed Chickpeas with Pita – If your kiddo likes hummus, then they’ll likely love this school lunch of smashed chickpeas sprinkled with chopped veggies and spices. Serve it up with fresh cucumber slices and pita bread, and you’ve got a healthy lunch that’s easy to pack and eat (even sans utensils).
- Broccoli Ham Calzone – This one works best if prepared the night before, and can actually work great as a dinner idea (with leftovers for lunch). Like a pizza pocket, only a little more healthy, these mini calzones can be filled with pretty much whatever your little one likes, such as broccoli and ham or any other number of filling combinations.
- Panko Chicken Nuggets – Another healthier take on a kid favorite, these Panko crusted chicken nuggets are a great kid lunch idea. Any because they’re breaded in Panko crumbs, they’re healthier too. Add in some parmesan or dill to add more flavor and spices to basic chicken nuggets. And pair with vegetable sticks and a dipping sauce.
- Ham and Cheese Quesadilla – Nothing is quicker than adding a few fillings to a tortilla and frying it up quickly. Try a modified version of a basic ham and cheese sandwich by throwing all the ingredients into a tortilla and melting the cheese in a skillet for a few minutes to create a ham and cheese quesadilla – which is fun and functional for school lunches.
- Kids Sushi Sandwich – For a quick way to make school lunch fun without getting too crazy, sometimes you just need to switch up the presentation. Take for instance, the Kids Sushi Sandwich, which is basically a normal sandwich with fillings similar to that of a California roll, rolled tightly and cut into individual sushi pieces. It takes the same amount of prep work as a normal sandwich, but makes the experience of eating it different and fun!
- Kid-Friendly Fried Rice – There’s a reason that fried rice is such a popular dish. It’s simple, you can add whatever meat and vegetables you prefer, and it keeps well in the fridge. Whip some up for dinner, and then add in a few fresh carrots and celery slices the next morning for your child’s school lunch.
