THE SIDE KICKS
​School Lunch Ideas

FRUIT    -    VEGETABLES    -    YOGURT    -    TRAIL MIX    -    MUFFINS    -    ENERGY BALLS

Fruits & Vegetables

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Pack 1- 2 fruits & 1 – 2 vegetables
  • Whole apples (you can buy small apples if your child is younger), cherries, Clementines, grapes, nectarines, plums
  • Berries: strawberries & blueberries work the best, but firm raspberries & blackberries work, too
  • Slice cantaloupe, honeydew melon, kiwi, mango, orange, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapples, watermelon
  • Jarred or canned fruit works in a pinch – grapefruit, papaya, mango, peaches, pears, pineapples
  • Pre-packaged single serve unsweetened apple sauce or other fruit
  • Edamame, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, snap peas, red bell pepper slices
  • Cut vegetables into sticks – carrots, celery, jicama, zucchini
  • Pickles
Dress up your fruit & veggies:
  • Fruit kebabs
  • Fruit with yogurt dip (mix plain yogurt with honey & cinnamon or all-fruit spread)
  • Fruit with nut butter
  • Veggies with Ranch dressing
  • Jicama sticks with salsa
  • Carrot sticks, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, raw zucchini sticks and cucumber slices with hummus
  • Celery boats with cream cheese
  • Celery boats with peanut butter

Other Sides

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  • Hot baked beans in a small thermos
  • Potato salad
  • Cottage cheese
  • Yogurt (you can even include a side of granola or fresh berries as a treat)
  • Fruit Smoothies (make your smoothie ahead of time and store in freezer; the smoothie will act like an ice pack and be ready to enjoy by lunchtime)
  • String cheese
  • Dried apples, dried mango & other dried fruit
  • Fruit leather
  • Mixed nuts (peanuts, cashews, almond slivers, walnuts, pecans, pistachios)
  • Trail Mix: Dried fruit (raisins, currants, dried cherries, dried cranberries, Goji berries, chopped dried apricots/dates), nuts, seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), unsweetened coconut flakes – include a few chocolate or carob chips as a special treat
  • Energy balls
  • Homemade cookies, brownies or bars (cut & store in freezer so they are ready to go into lunchboxes)
  • Baked tortilla chips (serve with a side of salsa for extra veggie action)
  • Muffins, mini-muffins: Carrot-zucchini muffins, blueberry-oat muffins, chocolate muffins
  • Dessert breads: Chocolate chip banana bread, pumpkin bread
  • Dark chocolate square