Episode 05 - Lunch Ideas for School or Work

Planning your kids’ school lunches can sometimes feel like a repetitive chore. We’ve put together five different lunch ideas to help you switch up your kids’ (or adults!) lunches and make for an easy meal prep.

The Container Matters

We love a bento box for school lunches. They’re already portioned, easy to transport, and reduce the need for all of the little plastic bags to hold individual snacks.

EasyLunchboxes are our favorite brand — they hold up well, are dishwasher-safe, and were designed by a mom to be easy to use.

We like these boxes, or these are great for sandwiches.

Click the image below for a printable list of items to make it easy to switch up your lunches! Continue reading below for five lunch box ideas to get you inspired.

Cheese and crackers

Make your own at-home Lunchable — much cheaper and customizable for each kid. Slice up some cheese from the block at the beginning of the week and add some crackers to your box. Add celery or carrot sticks with some Ranch dressing for dipping sauce. You can add some deli turkey for some extra protein!

AT-home Pizza Lunchable

An additional “DIY Lunchable” option is a pizza Lunchable! Get some bagel thins and pizza sauce, add shredded cheese and top with pepperonis.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

The PB and J is a classic for a reason — it’s easy and kids love it. Make a PB and J, add some slices cucumbers for a healthy side and some pretzels, and you’ve got a great lunch! Add in a handful of chocolate chips for something sweet.

Mac and Cheese

Make a box of mac and cheese, and add in some hot dogs for extra protein for a simple and affordable lunch. Serve with some grapes and celery! Add in some veggie straws for a healthier alternative to chips.

Ranch Dip Platter

A dip makes for a fun and yummy lunch for your kids! You can get packets of Ranch for easy transportation (like these), and fill your box with things to dip in Ranch! Add chicken nuggets, carrots, celery, or pretzels. You can also

Turkey Tortilla Rollup

These simple wraps are yummy and filling. Get a tortilla, add shredded cheese and deli turkey — roll it up and cut it in half. Add sliced bell peppers as a side, raisins, and some veggie straws.

Cereal

For a super simple lunch idea, we don’t use the EasyLunchbox for this, but we’ll just pack pre-packaged milk and put cereal in a Tupperware bowl. Add some fruit in your kids’ lunchbox to have on the side.

hot lunches

We also like to pack a thermos for each kid when we don’t use the EasyLunchboxes. We’ll add some red beans and rice as one option and send the kids with that to keep it warm until lunch. We’ll also add soup as another simple option in the thermos.

*This post is not sponsored by EasyLunchBoxes in any way.
We just really like them!