Back to School Lunch

A few weeks back into the school schedule, and already I was feeling stumped for ideas of what to make my kids for lunch--not to mention for myself! Thankfully I'm lucky that none of my kids are too picky about what they eat, but it is still a challenge coming up with new things to pack them every day.

So it was straight to the internet to brainstorm!

After searching through my favorite food blogs, cookbooks, and old newspaper clippings, I came up with some tried-but-true (and maybe even a few new ideas) that will be great for both you and your children. If you have any of your own ideas, feel free to share them with me and the rest of the readers by commenting.

1. Egg salad.
I know, not exactly novel, but I do think egg salad is often overlooked. Not only is it a good source of protein, but it is versatile enough to be good for both you and your children. While picky kids might just want it kept simple with just eggs and mayo, you can use this as a base for a more gourmet adult version. I like to add celery, fresh herbs, chopped cucumber, and add some fresh lettuce with it. It's super tasty and filling--great for a long day of work.

2. Alphabet Pasta Salad
This is a great way to trick the little ones into eating healthy food. The alphabet shapes will make eating seem fun--and let you sneak in nutritious food like tomatoes, cucumbers, green and red peppers, cheese cubes, apples, and nuts. The great thing about pasta salad is that it is a great way to use up and whatever scrap fruits and vegetables you have one hand.

3. Zucchini Apple Muffins
I just love these! This is the season where the end of the zucchini crop and the start of the apple harvest overlap, and these two examples of great fibrous produce make an excellent combination of flavor in a muffin. A great way to mix a green vegetable with brown sugar so your kids have no idea they're eating something with nutritional value. Plus this is an easy recipe to double, so if you have three kids like me it's a snap to double or even triple the yield to keep you and your kids stocked for days!

4. Snack Mix
It's hard not to love a snack mix. I never met a kid who would refuse to eat it, it's easy to make in bulk, and once you've got a knack for it you can easily get creative and experiment with different additional ingredients. The advantage of making your own as opposed to buying a premade mix is that, besides saving money, you can tailor your mix to match you kid's personal likes. My boys adore pretzels and peanuts, so I always add an extra amount of these.

5. Shepherd's Pie
As the weather starts to cool, nothing is more warming than a casserole, and Shepherd's Pie is one of my favorites. I love the fact that it combines almost all the food groups into one. When I'm planning ahead of time, I make up one of these and then after it cools divide it into portions before freezing. That way whenever I'm in a pinch, I know I can always just put one of these into my sons' lunch box--or bring it to work for myself!

So I hope this helps!

And don't forget, while what goes in the lunchbox is what is most important, the outside matters too! We at the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. have a wide range of fun lunchboxes for boys and girls, many of which include personalization.