
These school lunch ideas will have your kids smiling, giggling and even fist pumping when they open their lunchboxes. Classmates will start knocking elbows in an effort to get a good look at these fist pump-worthy lunches. They’ll start calculating the value of their own meals, furrowing their brows in concentration as they try to determine what they can trade to get a taste of these fun and flavorful lunches.
But it’s not all just fun and games. These meal ideas are nutritious so your little learners have the brainpower to finish out the day. They’ll also make your life simpler by taking advantage of leftovers and using tools you probably have in your kitchen right now. Like a pen and paper.
So on that note, let’s delve into some more lunchbox ideas.
Swap Meals
Surprise your kids with breakfast for lunch. Because breakfast is just as delicious when served at noon. You could even use leftovers from weekend brunch, like these Mini Ham & Cheese Quiches that are filled with protein to help keep your kids powered up for the afternoon. Bagels with cream cheese and silver dollar pancakes are also tasty ideas.
Make It Swirl
Catch their attention with eye-popping patterns. Simply slice wraps into 1 inch-thick rounds to create a spiraled, swirly entrée. All of a sudden, wraps are a lot more fun to eat! In fact, they might be so mesmerizing that your kids won’t even notice the lettuce leaf tucked inside.
Choose Your Own Adventure
Make lunch more interactive. Fill your kids’ lunch boxes with an assortment of cheese, meat, crackers and sauces so they can do the stacking. You could swap out crackers for small baguette slices or mini bagels. Or a few of each! There’s no guessing what sort of concoction they’ll come up with.
Select A Theme
Pick a theme, any theme. Then play it out. Having trouble nailing down an idea? Let dinner plans be your guide. If you’re making quesadillas one night, make a couple of extras. Slice them into small triangles and put them into lunchboxes the next day.
Switch Up Sandwiches
Sometimes there just aren’t any suitable leftovers, you’re limited on ingredients and time is short. So the only realistic option is a sandwich. That’s A-OK. You can still up the fun factor by serving it in a new way. Make your kids’ favorite sandwich as usual. Then slice it up into small squares. Slide them on sticks and voila, it’s like a whole new meal.
Make it a well-rounded meal by adding a dried fruit and nut mix, and some carrots with ranch dressing on the side. Small plastic containers and rubber muffin cups are great for holding sauces and dips.