New Healthy & Portable School (or Work) Lunches
If you struggle with lunch ideas, beyond PB & J, that your kids (or you) actually want to eat, you are not alone. This is for you!
These new, healthy and delicious school (or work) lunch ideas are perfect to grab and go, they travel well, and require no utensils, plus all can be made allergy friendly (i.e. no peanut butter in schools). Even if you are not a Mom that has to pack school lunches, there are still helpful tips here to convince you to “pack” your own lunch even if you’re working from home, to help save you time and precious energy, and keep you on track. Working smarter, not harder.
Let’s start with the night before…Portion out leftovers from dinner the previous night. Use your favorite lunch container and create lunches from this dinner. For those who despise leftovers, jazz it up with a drizzle of sauce over the top, a side of dipping sauce, or sprinkle on a new spice, herbs, or seasoning.
Always, always make something extra when you’re already cooking, whether that’s another entire meal that you can freeze, or just some extra protein or vegetables. This way you’ll have healthy options on hand with no extra effort.
Take a meal out of the freezer the night before to portion out for lunches the following day.
These ideas can make your life so much easier for packing lunches for kids as well as having your own lunch ready to go! These little time savers go a long way in reducing morning stress and decision fatigue, as well as keep you and your family eating healthy, nutritious meals.
Now, to some recipes to level up your lunch game!
Loaded Egg Muffins
Spread chopped veggies (preferably cooked; this is where leftovers are handy) and/or meats (ham, turkey, sausage, or bacon) onto greased muffin tin. Pour beaten eggs with dash or salt and pepper on top to ¾ full, sprinkle with cheese (optional), and bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Easy-peasy and also make great leftovers as they can be frozen, too.
Sandwich Kabobs
Simply stack chunks of your favorite makings of a sandwich on a skewer (or thin chopstick) for a fun spin. Some ideas include lettuce, salami, olives, pickle chips or mini pickles, and cherry tomato, or try turkey breast, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and sourdough or wheat bread squares.
Extra credit for adding a dipping sauce or topping with a drizzle of Italian or Ranch dressing!
Spinach Feta Chicken Meatballs
2 lbs ground chicken
1 large egg (beaten)
1/3 cup almond flour
2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 cup spinach, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup Feta cheese
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together except for olive oil. Shape into balls. Heat olive oil in skillet on medium high heat. Cook meatballs for about 4 minutes on each side. Make sure the temperature of the middle of the meatballs is 165 degrees. These are one of my favorites and I love sneaking in more spinach, too.
Tip: These freeze perfectly, making for easy lunch and dinner when you’re short on time!
Banana Sushi
Spread your favorite nut or seed butter (most schools don’t allow nut butters due to allergies, but I love sunflower butter just as much) on a tortilla, and sprinkle some seeds on top for crunch, such as chia seeds, hemp seeds (hello protein!), or crushed nuts if you’re able to (roasted pecans or almonds are great). Place a peeled banana on top and roll the tortilla up. Cut into bite-sized pieces to make little sushi bites and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Sweet Potato Toasts
Cut large sweet potato (labeled “garnet yam” in the grocery store) into ¼ inch planks lengthwise. Place planks on parchment or silicon mat lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 5 min on each side. Top with your favorite toppings such as nut or seed butter and sliced banana, avocado slices with sea salt and sesame seeds, or ricotta with berries and dried coconut (Note: allow the planks to cool completely before storing so they don’t get mushy). Reheat in the toaster (yes, like toast!) or toaster oven to warm and crisp it up.
Hard Boiled/Deviled Eggs
Who says dying eggs is just for Easter? Have some fun and let the kids color their own eggs (kids will eat more when they’re involved with cooking or prepping!) or surprise them with a few fun, colorful eggs in their lunch. Also try deviled eggs with a twist: such as mixing avocado and lime juice with the yolk, or buffalo sauce and ranch dressing with the yolk!
Turkey Roll Ups
Take some roasted turkey breast slices (try to find ones that are nitrite/nutrate free) and put a few thin slices of red, orange, or green bell peppers and thinly sliced carrots on one end along with a string cheese stick (the braided orange and white ones are extra fun for this). Roll the turkey up and watch them disappear!
>>> Which lunch are you going to try first?? Tell me in the comments below!
