7 Super Easy Back-to-School Lunch Ideas

Are you looking for some easy back-to-school lunch ideas for your child (some that they’ll actually eat)? Well, in this article you’ll find a list of 7 super easy options!

This post is sponsored by General Mills, but all opinions are my own. You can read my full disclosure here.

Back to school, in general, is a time of big transitions for all children. Especially the little ones. And we want to help them through it in every possible way. From the food they eat to the backpack they carry to each back-to-school supply. We just want to make sure we’re setting them up for success no matter what it is that we’re talking about.

In school, they’re going to have a limited time for eating. They can’t just take super long to eat because lunchtime will be over before they know it. So the easier we can make mealtime for them, the better.

Before we get started with the lunch options, let’s just take a look at a few ways to make lunchtime easier for them. These will be even more helpful for those starting kindergarten or going to a school setting for the first time.

It’s almost impossible to use all of these at the same time. So keep in mind they’re not mandatory and use your best judgment to figure out in which case each one of these tips will be helpful.

Simple tips to make back-to-school lunchtime easier

1. Pack foods that don’t require the use of silverware;
2. Cut up fruits so it’s easier for them to eat;
3. Prepare finger-food-type meals;
4. Try to pack things that won’t fall apart when carried in the lunchbox/lunch bag.

Now to the options you’ve been waiting for…

7 Easy Back-to-School Lunch Ideas

 

Back-to-school lunch idea #1

• Chicken quesadilla
• Cherry tomatoes
• Grapes
• Go-Gurt

Back-to-school lunch idea #2

• Blueberry muffins
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Fresh broccoli + ranch
• Yoplait Yogurt Core Cup

Back-to-school lunch idea #3

• Cupcake-shaped oven omelets – add vegetables 😉
• Banana
• Yoplait Dunkers

Back-to-school lunch idea #4

• Mini Zucchini muffins
• Orange slices
• Deli meat + cherry tomatoes + cheese kabobs

Back-to-school lunch idea #5

• Pasta salad
• Trail Mix
• Fresh berries
• Yoplait Go-Gurt

Back-to-school lunch idea #6

• Ground Turkey Cheese Casserole
• Watermelon
• Milk

Back-to-school lunch idea #7

• Homemade Broccoli Mac And Cheese
• Plum
• 100% fruit juice

You must’ve noticed that I added a different kind of yogurt on most lunch ideas above. I’ve teamed up with General Mills to share with you good, balanced meal ideas for your little student.

Now, if you have no idea why yogurt is a good option to include in your kindergartner lunchbox, I want to share with you some interesting facts.

Yoplait yogurts are part of a good, balanced meal for your child and Walmart sells them for an incredible value. They also have amazing flavor options that kids – and the whole family – love! This is a Big Little Win for me as a mom!

Here’s why you can include yogurt in their lunch with no worries…

According to Healthy Eating, yogurt is an excellent source of protein, calcium, and potassium. It’s relatively low in calories and provides your child with numerous vitamins and minerals. The dietary guidelines for Americans recommend that children age 4-8 have 2 1/2 cup-equivalent portions of dairy per day. And that children age 9-18 have 3 cup-equivalent portions of dairy per day. So, by adding some yogurt to their shool lunch you’re already contributing to those daily dairy recommended portions.

My favorite yogurt products from Yoplait are:

Go-gurt: they’re low-fat yogurt tubes (56g each) that are super easy for kids to hold and suck. You can also pack them frozen and they will be thawed by lunchtime.

Yogurt Dunkers: individually-packaged portions of low-fat yogurt & honey graham sticks.

Yoplait Core Cup: 6oz cup of yogurt with a ton of different flavors available. From real fruit flavors to cookies and cream.

Walmart has made it easy to stock up on these products so it’s easier to prepare Sam’s lunchbox every day! These yogurts are extremely affordable and fit right in our budget. Plus they complement a balanced, good meal for him. I’m always looking for ways to have little wins as a mom, and Yoplait is a Big Little Win 😉

Here are some more back-to-school lunch ideas for you to mix and match and come up with your own lunch combination for your child.

Back-to-school lunch ideas – main meal

• Cupcake-shaped omelets;
• Chicken quesadilla;
• Hard-boiled eggs;
• Pasta salad;
• Homemade mac and cheese;
• Chicken pot pie;
• Chili + cornbread;
• Chicken potato casserole;
• Ham + cheese sandwich;
• Cheese + turkey tortilla rolls;
• Vegetable/fruit muffin.

Back-to-school lunch ideas – fruits

• Banana;
• Strawberries;
• Watermelon;
• Melon;
• Pineapple;
• Blueberries;
• Peaches;
• Grapes;
• Plums;
• Nectarines,
• Mandarin oranges;
• Oranges.

Back-to-school lunch ideas – vegetables

• Cherry tomatoes;
• Broccoli;
• Baby Carrots;
• Cucumbers;
• Sweet Potatoes;
• Peas;
• Corn;
• Edamame.

Back-to-school lunch ideas – dairy

• Milk;
• Chocolate milk;
• Strawberry milk;
• Yogurt cup;
• Go-gurt;
• Yogurt Dunkers;
• String cheese;
• Fresh mozzarella balls.

Would you take some time to share with me in the comments what are your favorite lunch ideas for your kindergartner?

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