When it comes to school lunches - sandwiches can get really boring, really fast. So we came up with four non-sandwich school lunches ideas that your child will be delighted to eat at lunch time. And these definitely will not get old quickly.
I grew up eating hot lunch at school, but it seems that school cooked lunch is just not what it used to be. I always send my son a home packed lunch. That way I know that he is getting good, quality ingredients, and I feel I can do it more economically. If you haven't checked out our LunchBox Must Haves - take a minute to read up on all of our lunchbox favorites.
The Protein Pack
For our first non-sandwich lunch - we are going all out with the protein:
- peanut butter
- hard boiled egg
- cheese
We added in some fruit and veggies for dipping, as well as some crackers and a few chocolate chips.
The Yogurt Parfait
Who doesn't love a yogurt parfait? They are not reserved for breakfast - so why not serve them for lunch? Make sure you use and ice pack to keep things cold. We included all of the fixins for a delicious parfait:
- yogurt
- berries
- granola
- chocolate chips
Of course we added a veggie for good measure.
The Hot Dawg
My son loves hot dogs! So I had the idea to send one to school as his lunch. I warmed it at home, wrapped it in foil, and it stayed warm until lunch. To balance the meal out I included:
- a cheese stick
- carrots
- grapes
- crackers
The Taco Shop
Cheese quesadillas, tortilla chips, and salsa - all in the cafeteria! This is a really fun lunch because it is not the norm! Quesadillas can be served at room temp and kids still gobble them up! We also added:
- celery sticks
- sliced apple
- a few chocolate covered blueberries
Pro Tip: use silicone cupcake liners to divide dips and sauces from the rest of the lunch.
Give Us Your Report!
We hope you'll try some of these non-sandwich school lunches this year and come back and let us know if your kids loved them! If you want to keep up with our newest recipes, make sure you follow is on Facebook and Instagram, and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter.
4 Non-Sandwich School Lunches
Ingredients
The Protein Pack
- 1 hard boiled egg
- 1 mini cheese wheel
- 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
- 2 celery sticks sliced
- 5 baby carrots
- 7 grapes
- 25 grams crackers
- 5 chocolate chips
The Yogurt Parfait
- ½ cup yogurt
- ¼ cup granola
- ⅛ cup strawberries
- ⅛ cup blueberries
- ⅛ cup raspberries
- 5 baby carrots
The Hot Dawg
- 1 hot dog
- 1 hot dog bun
- 1 string cheese
- 6 baby carrots
- 6 grapes
- 25 grams crackers
The Taco Shop
- 2 flour or corn tortillas
- ¼ cup shredded cheese
- ⅛ cup salsa
- 6 tortilla chips
- 2 celery sticks sliced
- 1 apple sliced
- 3 chocolate covered strawberries
Instructions
The Protein Pack
- Add all ingredients to lunch box. Pack with an ice pack to keep cool
The Yogurt Parfait
- Add all ingredients to lunch box. Pack with an ice pack to keep cool.
The Hot Dawg
- Heat hot dog and bun in a microwave. Wrap in foil and add to lunch box.
- Add remaining ingredients to lunchbox.
The Taco Shop
- Sprinkle cheese on one tortilla, top with remaining tortilla. On a microwave safe plate - heat for 30 seconds. Slice and add to lunchbox.
- Add remaining ingredients to lunchbox
Marcy says
I love all of these ideas! Thanks for sharing!