Healthy lunch box ideas
Thank you to our contributor, Lauren Williamson, for these ideas!
We’ve all been there. Some days it’s a good ole PB+J and other days we probably don’t even remember what we packed! Right?! I mean… really.. it seems so easy but packing a lunch for your child every single day can present it’s challenges… IYKYK.
”As a mom, I often wonder if my child is actually eating the food, whether or not the warm items stay warm, and of course, I wonder if my children are getting the appropriate nutrition from the items I pack.”
Even though we all have busy days where the sandwich ends up winning the day, it is important to ensure that our little ones are getting adequate nutrition! It’s so important for their little bodies to thrive! We also know that this can be daunting or sound stressful, so we have worked to make it easy for you and give you some great ideas!
PROTEIN: Protein is what helps us stay full for a longer period of time. When it comes to kiddos, helping them to stay full is a sure way to make sure they don’t go through the day feeling hungry. Protein also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels by slowing the digestion of carbohydrates and preventing post-meal spikes.
Meat and Cheese Roll Ups- Sams Club and Costco have great options for high quality deli meat and cheese in bulk! Roll up the cheese inside the meat and add mustard or mayo for dipping!
Meatballs -Frozen meatballs are an easy go to and packed with 12 grams of protein per serving. You can change it up by offering BBQ meatballs and marinara meatballs. To keep them warm try preheating the thermos with warm water. One easy hack is to let your keurig dispense hot water into the thermos then dump it once warm. Add the warm meatballs and sauce for an easy hot lunch option.
Yogurt Parfait- The Oikos triple zero yogurt is high in protein and low in sugar which makes it a great entree option. Other great options are Chobani Vanilla and FAGE plain! Offer your child a “toppings bag” with things such as berries, granola, and even a few chocolate chips. Changing up the toppings helps shake things up. Sam's club often sells this brand and the wholesale price is much more affordable.
Pasta Salad -Pasta salad is served chilled making it the perfect lunch entree. You can customize the pasta salad to fit your child’s taste buds. To offer more protein you can always sub regular pasta for protein packed pasta. If your little one does not enjoy wet or saucy foods you can even sub the dressing for dry ranch seasoning for all the flavor without the wet texture. The best part is customizing the add in items. Here are a few ideas: cucumbers, matchstick carrots, cut bell peppers, pepperoni, salami, chunked ham, cheese cubes, broccoli slaw for a crunch, pickled items, cherry tomatoes, olives, bacon bits, garbanzo beans
Pinwheels -Sick of sandwiches?! Shake it up with a pinwheel. All the same simple ingredients rolled into a tortilla. Make it even more exciting by switching up the sauce. Try adding a flavorful cream cheese such as garden veggie for something different. Pinwheels can be customized for even the pickiest eaters.
Pizza -Pizza is always a crowd pleaser. Make your own pizza lunchable by providing the kids with a sliced english muffin, marinara sauce, cheese, and pepperonis. The nutrition in these pizzas will keep them fuller longer and they will have just as much fun creating their pizza’s as they would with a premade pizza kit.
Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip -Peanut butter dip is so tasty you want to eat it by the spoonful, but offering dunkers makes it a kid friendly lunch option. . Mix peanut butter, vanilla yogurt, and for a sweeter dip add a little bit of maple syrup to create a lunch that your kids are sure to love. The fun part is offering items that kiddos can dunk. Here are a few ideas: apples, strawberries, Ritz crackers, celery, rice cakes (chocolate is always a fav), vanilla wafers
Sausage -Chicken sausage sliced into bit size can add variety to your child’s lunch if you switch out the dipping sauces.
Protein Snack Balls -Protein Balls make an easy prep snack that can be stored in the fridge until your little is ready to snack. Mix your fav chocolate protein powder, nut butter, rolled oats, and honey until it has enough consistency to roll into balls. Customize add-ins to fit your child’s needs. Add-ins: flax seed, chia seed, choc. Chips, craisins, nuts, shredded coconut, dehydrated banana chips (crumbled)
Boiled Eggs -Boiled eggs are easy to prep, store, and serve. If the kids say they do not like them try removing the yolk and just serving the boiled egg white with a little salt.
Cottage Cheese + Fruit - Hear us out! This sounds crazy but my kids love cottage cheese when it’s mixed with strawberry preserves or canned pineapple!
CARBOHYDRATES: Carbohydrates are what keep our little ones going! They pack the energy punch and help them stay alert! Keep in mind that the best carbohydrates are free of refined oils, fats, dyes, and added sugars! Those things tend to slow us down and make us sleepy, and we need our littles feeling fantastic. Here are our faves:
Oranges
Berries
Bananas
Apple Slices
Fruit cups in 100% juice
baby carrots
cucumber slices
whole grain crackers or pretzels
whole grain bread
Kiwis (hello vitamin C)
sweet potato - bake the night before and serve chilled
Healthy Fats : Healthy fats help with healthy hormone production, nutrient absorption, and more!
dates - my kiddos love dates with peanut butter filling
peanut butter
hummus
avocado
whole milk yogurt
cheese sticks or slices
nuts + seeds
Pre-packaged faves: There are truly some great, healthy pre-packaged options out there to help save time!
Bobo’s brand stuffed oat muffins
KIND bars
LARA bars
MADEGOOD brand
ANNIE’S snacks
Make it fun!
Sometimes it is not about finding nutritious snacks, but finding things that the kids will actually eat. The littles always want the “paw patrol” or “princess” snacks, specifically the gummies. If you don’t want to pump the kids with all the sugar just add a sticker to what you want them to eat. Rather than offering gummies, try the fruit strips that are half the sugar and dyes, throw a sticker on it, and bam they can’t wait to try it.
Other snacks you can turn into a character treat: granola bars, veggie straws, cheese sticks, pretzels
Don’t forget the “I LOVE YOU” on a napkin ;)
We hope you love these ideas!!
