THE MAIN EVENT
​School Lunch Ideas

SANDWICHES  -  "LUNCHABLES"  -  BREAKFAST FOR LUNCH  -  SOUPS  -  LEFTOVERS

Sandwich Stars

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PB&J Plus
  • Use all-natural nut butters.  Your kids won’t miss the added oils.
  • Use all-fruit spreads instead of jams & jellies which contain added sugar. 
  • Go beyond PB – almond butter, sunflower butter, and cashew butter are great options.
  • Use cinnamon raisin bread as your NB&J base as a special treat
Meat-Lovers Sandwich
  • Use leftover chicken or other meat as your main event – just slice thin (nitrate-free is a beautiful thing)
  • BBQ Chicken Sandwich – place BBQ chicken in small thermos and pack hamburger bun separately
  • Thai Chicken Wrap – leftover chicken, peanut sauce, grated carrots & cucumbers
The Vegetarian
  • Hummus wraps or sandwiches with sprouts, baby spinach, sliced tomato & grated carrot
  • “Tea” sandwiches (cucumber & cream cheese, or tuna & egg with crusts removed)
Crazy Condiments
  • Traditional mayo and mustard are stars, but experiment with sunflower mayo, wasabi mayo, honey mustard, pesto sauce, Ranch dressing, Caesar dressing, and even a thin layer of hummus or guacamole
  • Add sprouts, baby spinach, grated carrot, thinly sliced cucumber, shredded cheese, sliced pickles
Experiment with different bread
  • Sandwich thins, bagel thins, hamburger buns, pita bread, Kaiser rolls, sourdough bread, homemade bread
  • Make wraps using flour tortillas or lavash bread
  • Pack 2 – 4 mini sandwiches made with wholesome crackers
  • Make quesadillas & cut into triangles (you can even include a small side of salsa)

Beyond the Bread

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Mom’s “Lunchables"
  • Mini-Meal Lunchable: Sliced deli meat or diced leftover chicken, cheese cubes, whole grain crackers, grapes or other fresh fruit
  • Veggie Lunchable: Hummus with carrot sticks, sliced cucumbers, whole grain pita chips or pretzel rods
  • Pizza Lunchable: crackers, diced meat, mini containers of pasta sauce and shredded mozzarella
  • Taco Lunchable: tortilla chips, shredded cheese, salsa, jicama slices, cherry tomatoes, bean dip, diced chicken
  • Chinese Lunchable: Fresh Spring Rolls, small container of sweet sauce
  • Japanese Lunchable: veggie sushi/nori rolls, edamame, soy sauce, wasabi paste, pickled ginger
  • Check out these bento boxes for more inspiration.

Breakfast for Lunch
  • Boiled egg
  • Frittata
  • Yogurt, Fruit & Granola Parfaits (place the fruit as a barrier between the yogurt and granola to prevent the granola from getting mushy, or pack the granola separately)
  • Cereal & milk with fresh fruit (pack the milk in a thermos, leaving room for the cereal, and pack the fresh fruit separately, too)
  • Bagel & cream cheese
  • Waffle (pack berries, nut butter and/or maple syrup separately)

Hot soup (leftovers or canned) Cold Salads
  • Green salad with toasted nuts/pumpkin seeds, fresh berries and/or grated carrots (pack the dressing in a small leak-proof container)
  • Pasta salad (with or without chicken or tuna)
  • Tuna salad
  • Chicken salad
  • Bean & corn salad
  • Grain & veggie salad: tabbouli, quinoa, rice, millet

Leftovers
Leftovers from the night or two before can be great hits. 
Prep a thermos for hot meals by letting very hot water sit in the thermos while you are warming up the leftovers.