Easy School Lunch Ideas That Your Kids Will LOVE!

One of the most challenging things about the new school year for us parents… what on Earth do we pack for lunch? We are all looking for ways to pack in nutrients (especially for picky eaters), while making sure we’re giving our kids lunch options that they will actually eat. So, we put together a list of options from fellow Stamford moms who know what a challenge packing the perfect lunch can be and from those who love to cook!

Pizza Muffins from Casey H. Bakes

Casey Hallen is a mom of two, teacher and runs Casey H. Bakes! She loves to make pizza muffins for her daughter. “I get pre-made whole wheat pizza dough and roll it out to a long rectangle. Then I take a hefty amount of butternut squash puree and spread it on before adding sauce and cheese. You can add other veggies and toppings, I have added shredded carrots,” she explains.

Instructions:

1. Roll the dough up length wise.

2. Cut the dough into 1″ slices.

3. Place the cut dough into a sprayed muffin tin.

4. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes and voila! pizza muffins!

NOTE: They do well at room temperature too which is always good for school lunches.

Multi Color Pasta with Veggies from Shirley Rilett

Shirley Rilett is a Stamford mom and the author of Cooling Off With Cucumber and Crunchy Broccoli. She says, “My son is very picky with food and it’s always a battle to get him to eat. He loves pasta so I usually give him multicolored angel hair pasta and sides of broccoli. I tell him broccoli florets are mini trees and he loves that! I usually have my Rottie Oso next to him (he loves to eat) so that helps the toddler eat his food.”

Colorful Bento Style Lunch Box from The Cozy Food Feed

Putting as many colors into lunch as possible is fun, but also has the potential to be super healthy and nutritious.

Carolyn with The Cozy Food Feed put together the box pictured which is a classic, and features a ham and chicken cold cut wrap, but can be swapped out for anything. Sides for this are strawberries, blueberries, carrots, kiwi and pretzel sticks. Photos attached.

Other theme box ideas include:

– Breakfast for lunch: English muffin with egg salad, strawberries, blueberries

– Italian Theme: Pasta of choice, Italian bread, Side salad

– Mediterranean: Pita, hummus, carrots, tuna fish

– Build-A-Taco: taco soft shells, taco meat, lettuce, tomato

Baked OatMEAL Cups from Stylish Spoon

A subscription for signature baked OatMEAL Cups from Stylish Spoon is a huge help for many moms. You keep them in your freezer and pop them in a lunchbox and they will be defrosted by lunchtime. They are especially great for kids who don’t like sandwiches, and they are packed with fiber, plant-based omega-3s and organic fruit. Click here to order and use code STAMFORDMOMS for 15% off! The code is also good on any of the subscriptions for Stylish Spoon!

When packing school lunches, Ilana Eck, the mom behind Stylish Spoon recommends using an easy formula to pack a well-rounded lunch. Choose a protein, such as a nut or seed butter, hummus or Greek yogurt, a veggie, a fruit, a whole-grain carb (an OatMEAL Cup, whole grain tortilla, corn tortilla chips) and a small treat.

More Lunchbox Inspiration

Check out creations from @lunchboxdad, here!
Find nutritious lunch box combos from Holistic Health Coach + Culinary Nutrition Expert,
Erin Parekh, here!
Add Soft & Doughy Protein Pretzels to your child’s lunchbox! Here is a recipe from Joy Bauer!
Bagel Fruit Pizzas from The Everyday Table are sure to be a hit! Check them our here!
Mini Nutella Quesadillas from Mission are a fun lunchbox addition. Here is the how-to!
Cheese and Meat Kabobs from Delightful E Made are a good replacement for a sandwich.
Check out the instructions, here!
Cream Cheese and Jam Crackers from Make and Takes are easy and delicious.
See the information, here!
Empanadas with Ham and Cheese are another fun sandwich replacement option.
Here’s the recipe from The Anthony Kitchen.