Hey guys! School is starting very soon for all of us, and whether you decided homeschool, traditional school or a combo of both was the best for your family, let's make it as easy as we can! A great way to do this is by prepping school lunches. Last year on my YouTube Channel, I posted an Easy Lunch Ideas video!
SCHOOL MENU LUNCH IDEAS ::
HOMEMADE LUNCHABLE
Lunch meats
Sliced cheese
Ritz crackers
This lunch idea is so easy, just cut your lunch meats and cheeses into medium sized squares, and add some crackers into the lunch bin!
PASTA SALAD
2 C uncooked pasta
1 head of broccoli (chopped)
1 can black olives
1/2 C mini pepperoni
1/2 C Italian Dressing
Cook pasta to al dente as directed on box. Then about 3 minutes before pasta is done
cooking, add in your chopped broccoli (or other veggies). Once the pasta is al dente & the veggies are slightly softened; drain, rinse with cold water & set aside. Slice olives into halves or quarters. Add pasta, broccoli, olives, mini pepperoni & Italian dressing if needed. Store in airtight container in the fridge. ENJOY!
EGGO PB & J
Frozen EGGO Waffle
Peanut butter (or any substitute you like best!)
Jelly
First, toast the waffle to give it a little extra crunch, and then add your child's favorite butter & jelly! Cut in half & it's ready to go!
CHICKEN SALAD
2 cans cooked chicken
1-2 stalks of celery
1/2 C grapes
1/3 C chopped walnuts
1/4 C mayo
Salt & Pepper to taste
Open & drain cans of cooked chicken and break apart with a fork. Chop celery in half lengthwise, then into small dices. Slice grapes into halves or quarters. Chop walnuts (optional add in). Add chicken, celery, grapes, walnuts (optional), & mayo into a bowl. Stir gently until combined & add more mayo if needed. Then salt & pepper to taste. Store in air tight container in the fridge.
ITALIAN KABOBS
Extra Long Toothpick Skewers
String Cheese
Mini Pepperonis
Olives
Cut your string cheese into about 5 pieces, and pattern the cheese, mini pepperonis, and olives onto your skewer until it's full! This is another meal that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare & can be totally customizable!
EASY SCHOOL LUNCH SIDES ::
FRUIT SKEWERS
Extra Long Toothpick Skewers
Your child's favorite fruit
This recipe can be so different for each child, but it's a fun way to get them to enjoy their fruit! Add their favorite fruits into a pattern on the toothpick skewer, and it's ready to go with little mess!
HAM & CHEESE ROLL-UP
Slice of ham
String cheese
Take your child's favorite deli meat, cut it in half & wrap around 1/2 cheese stick! Again, it's just another FUN way to get your child to eat those healthy foods!
You can always customize your child's lunches by adding their favorite fruit or veggie, a few slices of deli meat, applesauce, cheese stick, or a small salad & dressing to make it a little more nutritional & satisfying!
FRIDGE & PANTRY ORGANIZATION TIPS ::
Organize your fridge & pantry with organized bins (my favorites are linked below) with name or item labels (also linked below)! Leave the bins at a level where kids can grab the items themselves. The night before school starts (or morning-of if you're ambitious... lol), have each child pack their OWN lunch with the items you've already prepped!
Refrigerator bins:
Drink
Fruit/Veggie
Yogurt
Prepped Sandwiches
Hummus
Pantry bins:
Pretzels/Crackers
Pre-Packaged Snacks
Applesauce
OR, if you have multiple kids, giving each child their own bin with all their favorite (& easy!) lunch & snack items will help with those crazy mornings!
TRANSFORMATION / ORGANIZATION TIPS ON A BUDGET ::
Shop your home first! Repurpose items you already have, even grab a can of spray paint & transform it to something "new"
Declutter - this can make a HUGE impact while costing nothing
Check Dollar Tree for containers, baskets, contact paper, etc!
Add in a few items from other stores to still stay on a budget, but really elevate the look of your Dollar Tree items.
Be patient & transform over time! It doesn't need to be all done at once if it is overwhelming or ends up being too costly at one time.
Love you guys!! XO, Amanda
My Favorite Lunch & Meal Prep Items ::
Refrigerator & Pantry Organization Items ::
More Favorites ::