It’s exhausting coming up with healthy school lunches that your kids will eat day after day. Mom of three over here, so I totally get it.
On the other hand, it’s my job to be able to come up with healthy ideas that fuel their bodies for school and growth, but that they’ll actually eat, too.
So with that knowledge, I’d like to help you out by giving you a peek inside a week of school lunches at my house. If you’re curious, my three kids are 8- and 12-years old and they have eaten like this all through their school years.
If you’d like to know WHY I chose the foods I did, you can head over to my Instagram story highlights “School Lunches” for all the details on these meals.
DAY 01.
Prep time: 20 minutes in the am
This can all be prepped the night before, I was just too tired – so I subbed chickpeas for quinoa to save time in the morning.
DAY 02.
Prep time: 10 minutes the night before, 10 minutes in the am
I prepared the taco meat the night before and the gummies I made a few days prior (they’re super easy to prepare, though). I assembled it all in the morning, but it could have been done the night before.
DAY 03.
Prep time: 10 minutes in the am
I rarely serve sandwiches for school lunches, but when I do I make them in the am so the bread doesn’t go soggy. The tuna could have been prepped ahead, but I didn’t do that nor did I prep my veggies ahead because I wasn’t that organized this week!
DAY 04.
Prep time: 45 minutes the day before, 5 minutes in the am
I prepared the Cranberry Oat Breakfast Bars and Cranberry Orange Muffins the day before, I also doubled them to freeze for a busy week. It was a quick assembly in the morning, I just needed to chop some vegetables.
DAY 05.
Prep time: 10 minutes the night before, 5 minutes in the am
I made the salad the night before because it’s super quick to make (I used my instant pot) and I don’t like the smell of meat in the morning. I assembled the rest and chopped the vegetables in the morning.
Making foods that are colorful and visually appealing is the first step in encouraging your kids to make healthier choices. Providing them with variety and involving them in the process helps too.
Also, having regular conversations with them about WHY you provide the foods you do and encouraging them to participate in planning the menu and preparing the food can go a long way in helping them make healthier choices.
I would encourage you to try some new things, like in these examples. You can start with the Cranberry Orange Muffins (recipe below!).
If you’re worried that your child isn’t eating a balanced or healthy diet and you’d like some nutritional support, book in a consultation with me and let me help you out.
You can also find recipe books for quick dinners and lunches in my store, along with my Immune Intensive Guidebook (which includes pediatric protocols to keep kids healthy at school!).
