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Packing school lunches is a new concept to me and I had literally no idea where to begin. So I’ve gone and collected the best Back To School Lunchbox Ideas from around the web to make it that much easier for you too!
Super simple Lunchbox Ideas that your kiddos will love!
We’ve been absolutely spoiled with school meals up until this point.
Our experience with British Schools has been that they provide all meals from breakfast through to dinner (more like a late lunch but still super helpful), but since moving to Saudi Arabia we’ve realised that school meals are just one of the many differences that we’ll have to face when it comes to the schools here.
Fortunately, they way that Skye’s school timing works out for Foundation 2, is that she starts at 8 and finishes at 13h00 which means we have breakfast at home, and all I need to do is pack a light lunch and some snacks to nibble on throughout the day.
I tend to give her a bigger lunch when she gets home anyway, because she’s too busy at school to bother with eating. Unless I packed in cookies and cucumbers!
She’s also been a super fussy eater lately so I tried to look for the quickest, easiest, fuss free lunchbox ideas that I could find.
The Basics
Make sure that you include a portion of each of these:
- 1. Protein
- 2. Fruit
- 3. Vegetables
- 4. Carbohydrates
You can also include some form of dairy if your little one is allowed to have that as well a dip/sauce depending on the meal that you’re packing.
Some further tips when packing lunch is to:
- 1. Buy an insulated lunchbox
- 2. Invest in an ice pack to keep the food fresh
- 3. If you’re packing cooked foods, be sure to prep it well ahead of time and store in the fridge
- 4. Meal prep the mains as most of these should last in the fridge for up to 5 days
By keeping these in mind, it should be simple to construct a healthy, balanced lunch!
No Cook Lunchbox Ideas
- Banana and peanut butter roll ups with sliced cucumber and apple and diced cheese
- Peanut butter and honey sandwiches with sliced cucumber and carrots, blueberries, and olives
- Smoked chicken breast diced, sliced cherry tomatoes and apple, and crackers
- Any bread or wraps with a dip of your choice and sliced bell peppers, raspberries, and diced cheese
- Turkey mayo wraps, sliced cucumber and grapes, and pretzels
- Any dinner leftovers that don’t have to be reheated with fresh fruit and veg and a yogurt
Cooked Lunchbox Ideas (that don’t have to be re-heated)
- Pesto pasta, chopped cherry tomatoes, halved grapes, yogurt
- Boiled eggs, sliced cucumber and carrots, raspberries, humus (or dip of your choice)
- Roasted sweet potato slices, cheese, crackers, and apple slices
- Blueberry pancakes, boiled eggs, sliced cucumber and apple, peanut butter dip
- Sandwich meat, olives, cheese, crackers, and peaches
- Meatballs, sliced cherry tomatoes, feta cheese cubes, sliced banana, dip of your choice
- Grilled chicken breast, sliced cucumber, strawberries, yogurt
Bonus Ideas and Creators to follow!
Didn’t quite find something that you think your kiddo will love? Here are some fab Instagram pages with 100’s of great ideas:
Bernadette Hanly – goodiegoodielunchbox has unique, tasty recipes that are easy to follow
I especially LOVE thelunchpunch and secretly wish I could be as creative when it comes to packed lunches!
Rachel Stirling – thelunchbox.mama provides a healthy balance between sweet and healthy, and loads of little hacks to make lunchtime simple
Hopefully this has served as a great starting point for you to help you with Back To School Lunchbox Ideas.
I know I feel inspired to be a bit more creative in the kitchen!
Goodluck with back to school, Mammas xx