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We can’t believe that Summer is over and the boys are headed back to school for the Fall! Now we’re back to packing lunches and chasing the school bus. In honor of the first day of school, we’re sharing four yummy packed lunch ideas for when you’re stumped on what to send your kiddo to school with. These lunch combinations have fruits, veggies, and protein to give your little ones the nutrition and energy to tackle the day without sacrificing taste.
Does your little one like hard boiled eggs? Add packets of salt and pepper to spice it up, or chop it up into egg salad with a little mayo. These zucchini mini muffins are made with bananas instead of sugar, and have some chia seeds thrown in!
Bite-sized turkey and cheese roll ups with some sneaky spinach are sure to be a hit. We love this popcorn for a healthier option. Add some hummus for cucumber dipping!
Quick quesadillas are a great way to make a packed lunch more exciting. Add some salsa or sour cream for dipping! Chopped avocado and a lime wedge makes a DIY guacamole!
My boys LOVE peas, so it’s no problem getting them to scarf this lunch down. How cute are these little club sandwiches? We just made a triple-decker turkey and cheese sandwich and cut it into squares. Colorful toothpicks add some flair and an apple with almond butter is almost dessert-like to round out the meal.
Here are the lunch boxes I use, pictured above. They make packing lunches SO easy, especially the night before! They help keep all the food separate and fresh and they’re dishwasher safe.
If you liked this post, we have a whole new set of lunch box ideas right here!
Happy First Day of School!!
The above includes affiliate links. If purchased, I will receive a commission.
Wow… love these ideas! Thank you Vicky for sharing. Will be sure to make these for all of my 7 Children! Are you American or Canadian? Just curious.
where can I find the recipe for the zucchini muffins?
Hi, Heather! Thanks so much for checking out the blog! those zucchini muffins were a gift, but here is a similar recipe that uses banana, greek yogurt, and coconut oil: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/08/skinny-zucchini-banana-chocolate-chip-muffins-healthy-low-fat/
They are delicious! Enjoy!
Where did you get that Tupperware?
Hi, Emma! Thanks for reading! Here is an affiliate link to the lunch boxes pictured above: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004S129AQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004S129AQ&linkCode=as2&tag=vickybarone-20&linkId=22c2337afe0d806500c43436b1e71513
My daughter is getting ready to start Pre-K in a few weeks and I ordered these, perfect for her lunches! I can’t wait to start making lunches for her! Thanks for the suggestion 🙂
Is the child expected to reheat the quesadillas at school or eat them cold?
Hi, Susan! Thanks so much for checking out the blog. We don’t mind the quesadillas cold, but if your school allows warming up lunches then that’s definitely a plus!
Do you send the quesadillas cold or do they warn them up at school?
Hi, Kendra!
We don’t mind the quesadillas cold so we send them that way. But if your school allows warming up lunches that works too!
Thanks so much for checking out the blog!
The popcorn side won’t work in this combo since the moisture from the turkey, cukes, and grapes will make it soggy and chewy.
Hi there!
You’re right, they may get chewy if they are in there too long! We chose to photograph the popcorn out of its plastic bag so you could really see it. We suggest keeping these either in the bag or just in their own compartment in the lunch box.
Thanks for reading!
Where do you find the recipe for the turkey spinach wraps?
Hi there! We used flour tortillas (but we also love whole wheat wraps!) with a little mayo, deli turkey, sliced cheese, and fresh baby spinach. Just roll them up and slice into pieces! Super delicious and you can customize them however you’d like!
Thanks so much for checking out the blog!
Thank you!
Hi Vicky! Great post! I will certainly be using some of these in my lunches this upcoming school year! What app did you use to write on the pictures? Thanks
Thanks so much!! We use Photoshop to create our blog images 🙂
Hi Vicky! I love this post! Would you mind if I use it in a back to school round up I’m working on?
Hi there! Yes of course! We just ask that you link back to the original post and do not crop out any watermarks. Thanks so much!
Hi, I posted here a week or so ago and I was really hoping for a response? I love your lunch ideas! But, my son’s school doesn’t allow any nuts of any kind and I was hoping you might offer some alternatives? I really appreciate your feed back! Plus, I’m sure there are others who would be interested as well. Thank you!!
Hi, Robin! Your original comment was on this post along with our response: https://vbblog.mystagingwebsite.com/2016/08/16/back-school-lunch-ideas-pearls-olives-go/
Thanks so much for reading!!