SCHOOL LUNCHES: 25 HEALTHY IDEAS

Tips for Planning School Lunches

1. When you think about dinner, keep lunches in mind.  It is so easy to make a bit extra at dinner and use the meal, or even part of it, in the lunch.  For instance, if you have roasted chicken for dinner, why not use that meat in a sandwich instead of using processed meats?
2. If you make pasta sauce, freeze small portions of any extra for lunches in a pinch on top of some pasta. Same thing with taco night, you can freeze extra taco meat (or the veggie meat alternative which tastes nearly identical once dressed up with the spices) and have extra tortillas on hand in the freezer for a quick burrito.  Get my drift?
3. Make lunch fun – without excess processed foods!  I’m all for a treat once in a while, but why not make lunches fun in other ways?  Send a little note or some stickers in the lunch kit instead (you can put it in a plastic Easter egg to make it even cuter).
4. Use cookie cutters to make cute shapes out of the food: heart shaped cheese or a larger fun cookie cutter for the sandwich are a couple of ideas.
5. Use colourful silicone moulds to separate items in bento box style lunches (I love this stainless steel bento box!).
6. Buy a Thermos container or similar for packing hot items – leftovers reheated or a cozy thermos of soup makes a perfect lunch!  Pour hot water in and let it sit for about 10 minutes, empty and fill with your hot meal to keep to warm for longer. Don’t overfill it; the lunch room monitors will thank you!
7. Lean on a meal planning platform  to take the hassle out of planning and grocery lists with lunches all mapped out for you!
   

   
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   Top 25 School Lunch Ideas

   1. Fajitas (chicken, beef or tofu)
   2. Bento Box: filled with fruit, veggies, crackers, cheese, and diced roast chicken
   3. Egg Salad Wrap with spinach and red pepper on a wholegrain wrap
   4. Sneaky Mommy Meatballs  in a sub
   5. Pita with Tuna Salad
   6. Cucumber & Cream Cheese Sandwich
   7. English Muffin Pizza (toasted English Muffin cheese and pizza sauce) There is a great recipe on Fraîche Table
   8. Salad Rolls (Tofu, Shrimp or Chicken) (just skip the peanuts and dipping sauce)
   9. Corn Chowder Soup
   10. Bean & Cheese Burrito
   11. Chilli with Cornbread Muffins or Tortilla Chips
   12. Turkey Meatball Pasta
   13. Hummus, Pita & Veggies
   14. Pasta Salad (pasta with tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, red pepper and chicken if desired with a vinaigrette dressing)
   15. Quiche or even Mini Quiches!
   16. Whole wheat waffles cut into sticks with Greek yogurt dip
   17. Chicken Strips (can also be put into a wrap)
   18. Lentil soup with crackers
   19. Turkey Roll Ups (sliced turkey meat with cheese, spinach and mustard
   20. Homemade Butternut Squash Macaroni & Cheese
   21. Leftover Crêpes: rolled up with cheese, spinach and ham
   22. Tomato Soup & crackers
   23. Chicken Noodle Soup
   24. Burger, Chicken Burger or Veggie Burger on a whole wheat bun
   25. Stir Fry with Tofu or Chicken and Rice