If you’ve been serving one too many PB&J sandwiches and turkey and cheese roll-ups, it might be time to spice up your kids’ school lunches with something new.
Getting creative with school lunches for kids is surprisingly simple. Sometimes, it takes a little extra effort to get out of the routine and the mundane, but once you do—you (and your kids) will be so happy you did!
Make-ahead lunches for school save time and energy and ensure that your little ones are happy come lunchtime. From Fried Chicken Kabobs to Confetti Pasta Salad, here are a handful of our favorite ideas for kids' school lunches.
May they inspire you to branch away from traditional sandwiches and try something entirely new and irresistibly delicious!
Kabobs
When it comes to kids’ school lunches, everything is more fun on a kabob! Skewers are easy to make ahead and offer a good way to use up leftovers. You can make kabobs out of just about anything—from tiny PB&J sandwiches to chicken and veggies. This article from Food Network covers Lunch Skewers 10 Ways with wildly creative options. Go for the Fruity, with cantaloupe, strawberries, honeydew, kiwi, Fig Newtons and chocolate spread for a dipping sauce. The Meatloaf puts leftover meatloaf on a skewer alongside roasted carrots, sliced potatoes and ketchup for dipping. Fried Chicken comes with a skewered side of delicious cornbread, which can easily be made gluten free with our Gluten Free Cornbread Mix. For the more adventurous eater, there’s also Falafel and Dolmas, which puts leftover falafel, dolmas and cucumber slices on a stick with tzatziki for dipping. If you’ve yet to make falafel homemade, you can use our recipe for Falafel Patties. Our Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour is combined with lemon juice, cumin, coriander, garlic and parsley flakes to give it a fantastic flavor. You can enjoy this dish for dinner and throw it on a skewer the next day for lunch! Make-ahead lunches for school and kabobs go hand-in-hand. Sometimes, it’s just about taking what’s already available to you as leftovers and giving it a new and exciting life!
Pasta Salad
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Photo credit: superhealthykids.com[/caption]
Pasta salads take school lunches for kids and give them a perfectly delicious twist. There are endless variations for make-ahead pasta salads you can put in your little ones’ lunchboxes, which makes creating them extra fun. In this article for 5 Kid-Friendly Lunch Box Pasta Salads from All Recipes, author Lauren Grant gives wonderful tips about building kid-friendly pasta salads. She starts with the idea of picking a theme. Do you want your pasta to be veggie dense or protein-packed? From there, choose your pasta, like a whole grain penne or a classic spaghetti. Add the veggies and the protein (whether that’s beans or diced chicken), then add a punch of flavor. You can toss in everything from fresh herbs to toasted nuts before mixing in dressing to tie it all together. We love pasta salads for make-ahead school lunches, as they can be made in a big batch and eaten throughout the week. Super Healthy Kids covers a few of our favorite Quick and Easy Kid-Friendly Pasta Salads in their tasty article. There’s the Confetti Macaroni Salad, with its vibrant colors of carrots, broccoli, bell peppers and peas—or The Southwestern Penne Salad, which incorporates black beans, corn and peppers. Pasta is perfect for kids' school lunches, as it can easily be made ahead and can be completely customized based on your child's own tastes.
Burritos and Quesadillas
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Photo credit: yummymummykitchen.com[/caption]
Burritos and quesadillas aren’t just for dinnertime or takeout lunch. They’re also a fabulous option for make-ahead school lunches. These Healthy Make-Ahead Burritos from Yummy Mummy Kitchen are vegetarian and vegan and can easily be made gluten free. You can even bake them ahead of time, let them cool then transfer to the freezer until you’re ready to reheat! The recipe calls for tortillas, beans, salsa, cooked rice or quinoa, veggies and guacamole. It’s a simple dish that’s packed with protein and always seems to be a family favorite. You can set out all the fixings and do DIY burritos for your crew the night before, then send a leftover burrito in the kids’ lunchboxes the following day. For quesadillas, you can stuff them with just about anything! Use last night’s leftover roasted chicken with cheddar cheese or make them veggie-heavy with anything you have on hand in the fridge. To make your burritos and quesadillas extra special, rally the gang and get everyone to participate in making homemade Gluten Free Flour Tortillas. They’re made with our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and will give you 10 large tortillas perfect for filling with all your yummy ingredients. Whatever you’re creating, just don’t forget the sides (like sour cream, guacamole and salsa).
Chili and Soup
When the weather starts to cool off and autumn hits, there’s nothing like a cup of chili or soup in your lunchbox! Warm your kids up with one of the most comforting make-ahead lunches for school. Both chili and soup can easily be put in a thermos and transported to and from school with no mess. Add a side of veggies and maybe a sweet treat, and your kiddos will be in lunchtime heaven. In our 10 Killer Chili Recipes article, we celebrate the beauty of beans and cover all things chili! From green, white or, vegetarian to meat-lovers style, we’ve gathered recipes for all tastes. Whip up a batch of this Orca Bean Chili for something flavorful and with a slight kick. Serve it alongside a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and cornbread with a drizzle of honey as a unique school lunch idea. If your kiddos aren’t big fans of chili, go for soup instead! Momables covers some wonderful recipes in this article for 5 Best Soups to Pack in a Thermos for Lunch. Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup with Garlic Parmesan Rolls for Dipping and Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle can effortlessly be made ahead and eaten throughout the week. You can also make giant batches of soup and freeze ahead for future use. We like to think of wise words from our friend Jazz Leaf of recipes4health when we’re constructing soup recipes for kids—“Don’t overcomplicate anything. Just go with simple food.” The beauty of soup is that with a base of broth, some seasonal veggies and a bit of protein from meat or beans (or both), you instantly have a fantastic all-in-one meal, and a wonderful addition to your list of kids’ school lunches.
Parfaits
Although parfaits might at first seem solely a breakfast food, they can certainly be eaten throughout the day and are one of the best school lunches for kids. At Bob’s Red Mill, we’ve eaten a fair amount of parfaits and, not to call ourselves parfait professionals, but we definitely love to dip our spoons into a mix of creamy yogurt, good granola and sweet fruit. If you have a cottage cheese lover in the household, this Cottage Cheese Breakfast Parfait will be a hit. Inspired by the traditional pairing of pear and cottage cheese, this cottage cheese parfait is filled with healthy fats, probiotics, protein and fiber. The kids can also help to make the homemade Apricot Jam Sauce with dried apricots, honey, lemon juice and a hint of almond extract. Once combined with spiced pears, the flavors are decadent and delightful! Our own version of cottage cheese gets a boost from our Vanilla Protein Powder Nutritional Booster, which means it will stick with kids throughout lunch and into the afternoon. Add in the Gluten Free Honey Granola and you’ll be whisked away to a parfait dreamland. You can also keep your lunch parfait on the simpler side with this recipe for Fruit, Granola and Yogurt Parfait. As one of our school lunches for kids, we love that this parfait can easily be thrown together in the morning before school starts. Use whatever fruit you have, layer it with granola and yogurt, and you’ll be ready to embark on the day ahead! Just don’t forget to make an extra parfait for yourself. When you’re ready to dive in midday, an elegant parfait will help you find a moment or two of lunchtime zen.
Do you and your family have any favorite make-ahead school lunches? Maybe you have a crazily creative kebab recipe or a thermos-ready soup you like to make when the weather gets cool.
Whatever it is, feel free to share your culinary ideas with us in the comments below! We’d love to hear how you have fun with your kids’ school lunches.
Of course, when it comes to school lunches for kids, one of our ultimate favorite things to do is include a handwritten love note. There’s nothing that fills the soul quite like knowing that Mom, Dad, Brother and Sister are thinking of you when you’re away at school.
From all of us at Bob’s Red Mill, thanks for reading! Wishing you a happy lunchtime ahead filled with all the best flavors!
When it comes to kids’ school lunches, everything is more fun on a kabob! Skewers are easy to make ahead and offer a good way to use up leftovers. You can make kabobs out of just about anything—from tiny PB&J sandwiches to chicken and veggies. This article from Food Network covers Lunch Skewers 10 Ways with wildly creative options. Go for the Fruity, with cantaloupe, strawberries, honeydew, kiwi, Fig Newtons and chocolate spread for a dipping sauce. The Meatloaf puts leftover meatloaf on a skewer alongside roasted carrots, sliced potatoes and ketchup for dipping. Fried Chicken comes with a skewered side of delicious cornbread, which can easily be made gluten free with our Gluten Free Cornbread Mix. For the more adventurous eater, there’s also Falafel and Dolmas, which puts leftover falafel, dolmas and cucumber slices on a stick with tzatziki for dipping. If you’ve yet to make falafel homemade, you can use our recipe for Falafel Patties. Our Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour is combined with lemon juice, cumin, coriander, garlic and parsley flakes to give it a fantastic flavor. You can enjoy this dish for dinner and throw it on a skewer the next day for lunch! Make-ahead lunches for school and kabobs go hand-in-hand. Sometimes, it’s just about taking what’s already available to you as leftovers and giving it a new and exciting life!
Photo credit: superhealthykids.com[/caption]
Pasta salads take school lunches for kids and give them a perfectly delicious twist. There are endless variations for make-ahead pasta salads you can put in your little ones’ lunchboxes, which makes creating them extra fun. In this article for 5 Kid-Friendly Lunch Box Pasta Salads from All Recipes, author Lauren Grant gives wonderful tips about building kid-friendly pasta salads. She starts with the idea of picking a theme. Do you want your pasta to be veggie dense or protein-packed? From there, choose your pasta, like a whole grain penne or a classic spaghetti. Add the veggies and the protein (whether that’s beans or diced chicken), then add a punch of flavor. You can toss in everything from fresh herbs to toasted nuts before mixing in dressing to tie it all together. We love pasta salads for make-ahead school lunches, as they can be made in a big batch and eaten throughout the week. Super Healthy Kids covers a few of our favorite Quick and Easy Kid-Friendly Pasta Salads in their tasty article. There’s the Confetti Macaroni Salad, with its vibrant colors of carrots, broccoli, bell peppers and peas—or The Southwestern Penne Salad, which incorporates black beans, corn and peppers. Pasta is perfect for kids' school lunches, as it can easily be made ahead and can be completely customized based on your child's own tastes.
Photo credit: yummymummykitchen.com[/caption]
Burritos and quesadillas aren’t just for dinnertime or takeout lunch. They’re also a fabulous option for make-ahead school lunches. These Healthy Make-Ahead Burritos from Yummy Mummy Kitchen are vegetarian and vegan and can easily be made gluten free. You can even bake them ahead of time, let them cool then transfer to the freezer until you’re ready to reheat! The recipe calls for tortillas, beans, salsa, cooked rice or quinoa, veggies and guacamole. It’s a simple dish that’s packed with protein and always seems to be a family favorite. You can set out all the fixings and do DIY burritos for your crew the night before, then send a leftover burrito in the kids’ lunchboxes the following day. For quesadillas, you can stuff them with just about anything! Use last night’s leftover roasted chicken with cheddar cheese or make them veggie-heavy with anything you have on hand in the fridge. To make your burritos and quesadillas extra special, rally the gang and get everyone to participate in making homemade Gluten Free Flour Tortillas. They’re made with our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and will give you 10 large tortillas perfect for filling with all your yummy ingredients. Whatever you’re creating, just don’t forget the sides (like sour cream, guacamole and salsa).
When the weather starts to cool off and autumn hits, there’s nothing like a cup of chili or soup in your lunchbox! Warm your kids up with one of the most comforting make-ahead lunches for school. Both chili and soup can easily be put in a thermos and transported to and from school with no mess. Add a side of veggies and maybe a sweet treat, and your kiddos will be in lunchtime heaven. In our 10 Killer Chili Recipes article, we celebrate the beauty of beans and cover all things chili! From green, white or, vegetarian to meat-lovers style, we’ve gathered recipes for all tastes. Whip up a batch of this Orca Bean Chili for something flavorful and with a slight kick. Serve it alongside a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and cornbread with a drizzle of honey as a unique school lunch idea. If your kiddos aren’t big fans of chili, go for soup instead! Momables covers some wonderful recipes in this article for 5 Best Soups to Pack in a Thermos for Lunch. Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup with Garlic Parmesan Rolls for Dipping and Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle can effortlessly be made ahead and eaten throughout the week. You can also make giant batches of soup and freeze ahead for future use. We like to think of wise words from our friend Jazz Leaf of recipes4health when we’re constructing soup recipes for kids—“Don’t overcomplicate anything. Just go with simple food.” The beauty of soup is that with a base of broth, some seasonal veggies and a bit of protein from meat or beans (or both), you instantly have a fantastic all-in-one meal, and a wonderful addition to your list of kids’ school lunches.
Although parfaits might at first seem solely a breakfast food, they can certainly be eaten throughout the day and are one of the best school lunches for kids. At Bob’s Red Mill, we’ve eaten a fair amount of parfaits and, not to call ourselves parfait professionals, but we definitely love to dip our spoons into a mix of creamy yogurt, good granola and sweet fruit. If you have a cottage cheese lover in the household, this Cottage Cheese Breakfast Parfait will be a hit. Inspired by the traditional pairing of pear and cottage cheese, this cottage cheese parfait is filled with healthy fats, probiotics, protein and fiber. The kids can also help to make the homemade Apricot Jam Sauce with dried apricots, honey, lemon juice and a hint of almond extract. Once combined with spiced pears, the flavors are decadent and delightful! Our own version of cottage cheese gets a boost from our Vanilla Protein Powder Nutritional Booster, which means it will stick with kids throughout lunch and into the afternoon. Add in the Gluten Free Honey Granola and you’ll be whisked away to a parfait dreamland. You can also keep your lunch parfait on the simpler side with this recipe for Fruit, Granola and Yogurt Parfait. As one of our school lunches for kids, we love that this parfait can easily be thrown together in the morning before school starts. Use whatever fruit you have, layer it with granola and yogurt, and you’ll be ready to embark on the day ahead! Just don’t forget to make an extra parfait for yourself. When you’re ready to dive in midday, an elegant parfait will help you find a moment or two of lunchtime zen.
Do you and your family have any favorite make-ahead school lunches? Maybe you have a crazily creative kebab recipe or a thermos-ready soup you like to make when the weather gets cool.
Whatever it is, feel free to share your culinary ideas with us in the comments below! We’d love to hear how you have fun with your kids’ school lunches.
Of course, when it comes to school lunches for kids, one of our ultimate favorite things to do is include a handwritten love note. There’s nothing that fills the soul quite like knowing that Mom, Dad, Brother and Sister are thinking of you when you’re away at school.
From all of us at Bob’s Red Mill, thanks for reading! Wishing you a happy lunchtime ahead filled with all the best flavors!
