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One of the most stressful parts of the school season for me has ALWAYS been packing lunch. I don’t know what it is, but the thought of figuring out a healthy and yummy (to a little kid) lunch option has overwhelmed me every year since Marlowe was three. I feel like after all these years, and with Kindergarten finally underway, I’ve found some go-to options that my kid loves and that are both healthy AND easy. Since I know a lot of parents are looking for lunch inspiration these days, I figured I would share three lunchbox ideas that we have in heavy rotation. I would love to hear your lunchbox ideas, faves, and hacks too!
Breakfast For Lunch
This one is fun, and super simple. As always, a lunch doesn’t have to be one hundred percent home made in order to make you a good parent! For this lunch, I get some healthy, store bought muffins, and cut one in half. I pair it with “cereal trail mix” with a few cereals, some yogurt covered pretzels, etc. You can even add chocolate chips or raisins if you’re in to that! Some fruit and hardboiled eggs round it out. I add Everything But The Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s to the eggs.
Vegetarian Snack Box
You don’t get more healthy than a fruit, veggie, and protein snack box! This is my “lazy day” option, but Marlowe loves it. Carrots and cucumbers, fruit skewers on toothpicks, and diced string cheese (so she doesn’t have to open the cheese wrapper). I’ve somehow convinced her that animal crackers are a dessert. Nobody ruin that for me! LOL.
Bagel Sandwich
My kids love a mini bagel. I can pretty much put anything on it and they’re psyched. And for some reason, they will only eat a whole sandwich if it’s in tiny form. No idea why. For this lunch, I make Marlowe’s favorite sandwich (salami and cheese) on a mini bagel. I pair it with mini pickles, a fruit “flower”, And apple cinnamon “straws” from Trader Joe’s.
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I don’t live in the USA so I don’t know exactly the timetable of preschools or kindergartens and I’ d like to ask you some questions.Do you also send them breakfast or they have it at home before they leave ? At what time approximately do they have lunch and at what time do they return home ? Do they have dinner, their main meal, soon after they are back home? So far my son was back at home before lunch so I would feed him whatever I was cooking each day.This year will be his second at preschool and he is going to stay also for lunch at school and I try to figure out what I will be packing for lunch.For breakfast I usually send fruits and cake or cheese/turkey sandwich .I thought that I should send him the usual lunch he would have at home (e.g. meatballs with potatoes, chicken nuggets and rice, fishsticks, chickpeas or lentils with salad, homemade small cheeseburger or pasta with red sauce, etc,) with some dessert and give him afterwards a light dinner in the afternoon and not a light lunch followed immediately by dinner at home.I know that in preschool there is the possibility to heat the lunch and help the kid with eating, I dont know about kindergarten.I suppose that when the time comes I will figure out what’s the best choice!
Love the ideas! Where is your stainless steel lunch container from?
They’re from pottery barn kids, they’re available in metal or plastic.
I follow a few “lunch box” insta sites and get thoroughly overwhelmed when I see the lavish spreads for their kids that obviously took way more time than I have to put together. These are realistic and super kid friendly and will help with my intial shock of having to put together a lunch Every.Single.Night. starting next Thurs. The mini bagels are genius and way more interesting than regular old bread. Thanks, Eva!
Lunch boxes are always a stressful part of my morning. I have a vegetarian 4 year old who wants hummus, cucumbers and a bagel and cream cheese everyday. But, I also have a 12 year old who knows about lunch junk food and wants it all. I indulge her more with the chips bags and juice boxes and the other stuff I would have wanted in the 6th grade. but it’s always so hard with my younger one. The breakfast for lunch idea is great! I’ll definitely be trying that this week.
Love all of these ideas . I also use a funtainer thermos for meatballs , soups and pastas for when my son wants a change from sandwiches
Simple, delish, and creative! Checking all the boxes. One question: how do you know if she eats all of her lunch? Does the school let you know? Has she ever told you she didn’t “like” or “want” what you gave her? Thanks!
Yes she is pretty communicative with me about it!