Easy Back to School Lunch Ideas

If you have kids in school, you probably have kids who are growing. While this means new kids' clothes and kids' shoes, it also means your kids need good nutrition. To grow properly, kids need fuel to build new bone and muscle structures and to help their brains transition into the next stage of development. One-third of the fuel comes from their lunches! Sometimes lunches fall by the wayside since it's a meal you probably aren't going to see your child eat most of the week. Nevertheless, it's still an important meal. Here are some easy back-to-school lunch ideas so when your children open their backpacks, they know their lunches are going to be delicious and nutritious.

First Things First: Tupperware

If you're trying to keep away from pre-packaged, processed food, Tupperware is the way to go. It keeps food organized and keeps the insides of your children's lunch boxes from getting sticky. Find Tupperware containers of varying sizes that can fit well together so you can use the spaces you have effectively to pack food for your little ones.

Second Thing: Sides

Having sides gives a meal some variety instead of just having one thing for your children to eat. The good news is, that these don't need to be complicated or fancy. If you think of basic fruits and vegetables, for the most part, you can come up with some pretty good ideas.

Berries and yogurt make for a delicious yet healthy side option. Apples and peanut butter or a special cheese could also be an easy fruit alternative. If you'd rather not have a combo, fruit pieces on their own work just fine too. If you'd rather something different, cheddar cheese and some nuts or a homemade trail mix have a bit more protein and could be quite tasty. If you're looking for more protein, hard-boiled eggs or deviled eggs might be an excellent choice. For more on the veggie side, carrots and ranch dip are a great combination. Celery with peanut butter and raisins makes a fun ants-on-a-log side snack. Cherry tomatoes and bell pepper pieces could also be good vegetable options. Sauces and spices can help with taste if your child has a hard time with certain foods.

After you have your sides set, what about the main course? Lucky you! That's next!

Sandwiches

Sandwiches are a classic lunch food. Deli meat with cheese and lettuce or peanut butter and jelly, it's hard to go wrong with a good sandwich. They are also usually good sizes for packing which is definitely another mark in their favor. Sandwiches are fairly easy to make as well, so this may be one of the first lunches your children can handle putting together on their own. Taking anything off your plate is a good thing, plus, it gives your children practice in taking on and managing their own responsibilities. All good things.

Wraps

If your child can't stand sandwiches one more day, try shaking things up a little bit with a wrap. These look completely different and even a little fancy, but they are as easy as can be. If you're in a hurry, it's a tortilla with basically the same ingredients as a sandwich rolled up. If you have a little more time, you can cook some eggs and bacon and make a breakfast wrap. A tuna fish salad wrap is a potential option, too. You can even just make a regular burrito with beans, cheese and some chicken and have that be the main course for the day. As you can see, wraps are fairly flexible in terms of their ingredient range, so there's no reason not to take advantage of them for your kids' lunches.

Kabobs

If your kids catch on to the similarities between wraps and sandwiches and are clamoring for something different, first, invite them to come up with their own ideas since these are their lunches after all. Second, consider mini kabobs. These are very easy to make. You gather your ingredients then stick them on a toothpick or a mini kabob stick and you're set to go, very little prep is necessary. The most you might have to do is cut your ingredients into smaller pieces. There are a lot of great kabob ideas. Use basil leaves, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese pieces to make some Italian margarita pizza kabobs. Chicken kabobs with onion, bell peppers and pineapple pieces could make a very delicious combination. For more of a salad kabob, put on chicken, tomatoes and folded-up pieces of lettuce. Have a mini Tupperware full of Ceasar dressing and you have an interesting lunch ready.