Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas For Back To School

It’s that time of year again to begin thinking about packed lunch ideas for back to school. While you may be focusing mostly on your own meal plan and health, it is also important to make sure your kids are eating healthy options. School lunches aren’t always the healthiest, and packing a traditional lunch with a sandwich, chips, and snack doesn’t always end up very healthy either. We have some great tips for helping you to make a healthy school lunch that your kids will enjoy.

Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas For Back To School

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Packed lunch ideas are some of my favorite things to pull together. I love taking the time to pack a fun and unique lunch for my son, but I do also want it to be convenient for me to make and him to enjoy. So, I am sharing some of my top tips for making sure he gets a great healthy lunch that is easy for me to make.

Send their favorite leftovers: Invest in a quality Thermos and send leftovers from your meal each night and a side of fresh fruit or vegetables to go along with the lunch. We share so many great healthy Crockpot meals here that you will have plenty to choose from. Not only do you already know your child enjoys it, but you can feel no guilt about sending it for their lunches.

Send their favorite salads: Kids really do love salad when you provide different options. A salad isn’t just about lettuce and vegetables either. A salad can be a variety of fresh vegetables and their favorite protein. I love making things like our Mixed Berry Salad for lunches since it is light, healthy, and super kid-friendly. Add some grilled chicken to the top and they will love it!

Send non-traditional lunches. Packed lunch ideas that are most successful tend to be the things that are not what you initially consider lunch. Packing mini pancakes, bacon or ham, and fruit for an easy “breakfast for lunch” is one of my favorites. Yogurt parfaits and even oatmeal in a Thermos are also great easy solutions that kids enjoy.

Prep fruits and veggies ahead of time. One of the biggest struggles is saving time while making great healthy lunches. One of the best tips for packed lunch ideas to be successful is to prep in advance. To me, that includes prepping a week of fresh fruit and vegetables into portion sized containers so lunchboxes can be backed in seconds if I am in a hurry. All I have to do is grab a bag of portioned fruit and portioned vegetables. I also like to throw in portioned homemade fruit dip or hummus as a great dip.

Follow these packed lunch ideas and tips for creating amazing healthy lunches you can feel great about sending with your kids this school year.

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Melissa Jennings

Melissa is a soccer mom who has been married to her best friend for 21 years. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.