Even though you might not want to hear it (or maybe you do!), back to school is right around the corner. We still have about 4 weeks left but half the summer break is definitely behind us. One thing I hear often from moms is that they really don’t enjoy packing lunches. I know it can become tiresome trying to think of different options each week but I actually love packing my kids’ lunches with healthy foods. If you like lists and being organized, you will love what’s coming! This fun Printable Lunch Planner (shopping list and lunch packing list) might be something that will help you stay organized and enjoy packing school lunches more.You can use this free printable throughout the school year and I’ll even share a list of easy school lunch ideas. You’ll love this quick list of healthy lunch ideas my kids enjoy.
Use This Printable School Lunch Planner To Get Organized For The Week
To make life a little easier, I have actually designed the lunch list page for you! This Printable School Lunch Planner has a section for your grocery list and the other part is where you will write down what will be in your child’s lunch each day of the week. This will save you from scrounging through your pantry every single morning wondering what you are going to pack! You can print the pdf here.
This Printable School Lunch Planner will help you stay organized and make packing lunch for you or your children so much easier. All you have to do is print it off. Go ahead and print a handful off so you will have them handy for your weekly lunch planning. This school season will be so much easier so, go ahead and grab an ice pack and your lunch boxes and fill them up with the easy lunch box ideas below.
Kids School Lunch Ideas
When packing school lunches for kids, keep in mind that usually want to include 4 categories: snack, main, sides, and a sweet treat. The snack is intended for a break period that may come before or after lunch. The main course and the sides are the lunch itself and the treat is for after they finish their lunch. Your kid’s lunchbox should contain a balanced meal. Here are a few healthier lunch items that my kids really do enjoy.
Ideas For Sandwiches or Mains
- Sandwiches are your classic lunch cornerstone. You can start with your traditional lunchmeat sandwiches or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and you can get as creative as slices of brie and pear.
- Ham or turkey and cheese tortilla wrap or almond butter and banana tortilla wrap. Grab a pack of wraps and you can make different kinds for each day of the week.
- Salad sandwiches such as tuna salad, egg salad, salmon salad, and chicken salad are easy to prepare the night before. Just use a piece of lettuce on each side to keep the bread from getting soggy.
- Mini sandwiches with hummus and fresh spinach leaves.
- Cheddar cheese sandwiches with avocado, sprouts, and/or cucumbers are also delicious for variety.
- Experiment with sandwich alternatives such as bagels, pita pockets, or burritos to freshen up your lunchbox meals.
- Here is another fun idea if your child would rather not have bread…grab some cheese sticks and some lunch meat (we love the nitrate free kind). To prepare: lay out some lunch meat and wrap the cheese stick up in the meat for a simple cheese and turkey or ham roll! You can leave it as is or even cut in into bite size pieces.
- Try unusual protein options such as protein dips like hummus, black bean dip, and nut butters.
- Tofu diced plain or cooked up in many different ways is another popular lunchbox choice at my house.
- Baked stuffed potatoes are a delicious lunch that you can throw in to cook with dinner the night before.
- Hard-boiled eggs can be a fun way to get out of the normal lunch routine.
- Whole grain pasta salad
- Quinoa salad with black beans, corn, diced bell peppers, and a lime vinaigrette
- Mini egg muffins with spinach, cheese, and diced bell peppers
Ideas For Sides
- Fruit
Go ahead and slice up apples for the week or peel oranges…maybe even use cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of the watermelon slices. Keep in an air tight container and just grab a handful each morning. Other ideas include: melon, pineapple, pear slices, kiwi, applesauce, fresh berries, orange wedges, strawberries, apple slices, grapes, or a banana - Veggies
Add a few fresh vegetables into your child’s lunch (include a dip if they like that too). Options include: sliced bell peppers, baby carrots, snap peas, grape tomatoes, carrot sticks, sliced avocado, cucumber slices, and cherry tomatoes. I love grabbing carrot chips or a few bell peppers slices. - Whole grain crackers
- Sting Cheese
- Yogurt
- Rice Cakes
- Nuts or sunflower seeds
Treat Ideas
- A few dark chocolate chips
- A few cookies
- Granola bar
- Animal crackers
- Dried fruit
- Muffin
Nutritious Salty Snacks
There are salty snacks that are higher in protein, requiring smaller portion sizes to satisfy the desire to snack. Some of
these saltier options include:
- Pretzels
- Beef Jerky
- Low-Fat Pepperoni (usually a turkey variety)
- Pistachios
- Sunflower Seeds
- Puffed Rice products
- Pita Chips or Carrots and Hummus
- Celery sticks with cream cheese or peanut butter
- Popcorn
- Veggie Chips
- Trail Mix
Nutritious Sweet Snack Ideas
It’s surprising how satisfying these more nutritious choices can be when we have a desire for something sweet. These sweet snacks include:
- Fresh Fruit – Blueberries, Strawberries, Bananas, Apples, Grapes, and other budget-friendly fruit that’s in season
- Dried Fruit – Mango, Raisins, Apples and Fruit Roll Ups
- Baked sweet potato
- Dense, Multi-Grain Granola or Granola Bars (Kashi is a great brand)
- Apple sauce
- Homemade banana bread or healthy muffins
Conclusion
Packing school lunches offers several benefits. It means that parents can ensure that the meals are balanced and nutritious, incorporating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Packing school lunches can also help reduce food waste by using up leftovers and minimizing packaging waste compared to pre-packaged foods. Furthermore, home-packed lunches should contain less processed food and fewer additives compared to some school-provided meals. Finally, kids can get involved in the planning and preparation of their lunches, which can increase their interest in healthy foods and improve their cooking skills.
I hope this School Lunch Planner Printable will help you stay organized. It also helps you keep track of what your child has eaten for the week. These school lunch ideas are easy to prepare, healthy, and can be customized to suit your child’s preferences and dietary needs. Let us know of any fun lunch items that you like to pack in your child’s lunch! Tag us in your lunch box photos @familyfocusblog.
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