Packing a healthy school lunch is simpler than it sounds. Sure, you can get fancy but most kids like simple food anyway. Packing school lunches are a daily chore but with a few strategies, you can get it done fast and easy.
Why Pack a Real Food Lunch?
It's sad to say that most lunches provided by most American public and private schools are poor quality. They often don't qualify as “real food.” None of the food provided is organic or even non-GMO. It is highly processed and full of terrible ingredients like refined wheat flour (laced with glyphosate and other pesticides), high fructose corn syrup, and countless preservatives. There are schools that are the rare exception (my children attended one for a few years) but the majority fit this description. Even if your packed lunches aren't completely perfect they are still much more nutritious than anything the school would provide. If you are able to pack a lunch for your child, I highly recommend you do.
The Lunch Box
The first thing that makes packing a healthy school lunch easier is having a lunchbox that makes things simple. Ideally, the lunchbox I would like to use has the following qualities:
- Eco-friendly, replacing the need for plastic bags or plastic wrap.
- Non-plastic, preferable stainless steel.
- Easy to open, something a young child can open and close on their own.
- No mess (or low mess)
- Easy for parents to pack quickly, the less parts the better, easy to clean
There are a lot of lunchbox options now that fit these requirements. Ten years ago, there were not quite as many options. Here are some options to consider:
Planet Box
- Ideal for young children (under 14). It can work for older children too but might not hold big enough portions for a teenager.
- Kids like that it keeps everything separate in it's own section.
- Parents like that it's one container to wash, it can go in the dishwasher, and makes it a breeze to pack a fast lunch.
- It is one of the more expensive options but it has lasted my children 10+ years so you get your money's worth.
U Konserve Stainless Steel Bento Box
- Works well for older kids who like to pack a sandwich. It has a larger section that fits a good sized sandwich plus a small section for fruit or veggies.
- The two sections make it easy to keep a formula of a sandwich and a side, no need to get creative.
- The stainless steel container and silicone lid are non-toxic and can be washed in the dishwasher.
Glass Bento Box Containers with Bamboo Lids
- These containers are nice for teens who are not into sandwiches and want to pack a variety of fruits and veggies.
- The drawback is it is a bit heavy and it is glass so it should not be given to any kids who like to toss their bag around.
- A good option for adults.
- Easy to clean the glass part in the dishwasher and the bamboo top can be rinsed easily.
Stainless Steel Snack Containers
- These are small containers that are nice for packing snacks if your child has a snack time. It fits a small apple cut into slices.
- Instead of sending a prepackaged snack that is low in nutrition and also creates trash, these little containers are perfect.
- The stainless steel and silicone top are easy to clean in the dishwasher.
What to Pack in a Healthy School Lunch
One thing that is great about the bento box style lunchboxes is that you can use one compartment for each food group. Try to have one of each of these items in the lunch in this order of importance.
Note: If your child refuses vegetables, do double fruit.
- Protein
- Vegetable
- Fruit
- Whole Grain
In the bento style lunchboxes you can use the largest section for protein, then a vegetable, a fruit, and a whole grain /starch. It takes the guesswork out of putting together a lunch, especially in a hurry. Here are some options from each category:
Proteins
- Hard boiled egg
- Rolled up turkey or ham
- Nuts or Nut butter on bread
- Grilled chicken
- Mini meatballs
- Cheese & Salami
- Breakfast sausages
- Hummus (make sure it's organic)
- Healthy Homemade Nutella
Vegetables
- Carrot sticks
- Cucumbers
- Pickles
- Celery sticks
- Radish slices
- Bell peppers
Fruits
- Apple slices
- Oranges
- Kiwi
- Grapes
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Watermelon chunks
- Raspberries
- Banana
Whole Grain / Starch
- Homemade muffins – I make a batch of muffins every week and pack a healthy muffin in their lunches everyday.
- Organic Granola
- Organic rice crackers
- Homemade french fries (with coconut oil)
- Rice with soy sauce
Real Food Lunch Recipes
The easiest lunches are a combination of single ingredient items like most of the things on the list above. There are some recipes that require slightly more work that are also great in healthy school lunches. Here are some recipes I make regularly and have successfully packed in lunchboxes:
- Gluten-free Blueberry Muffins
- Homemade Larabars
- Brown Rice Crispy Treats
- Homemade Hummus
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Fermented Dill Pickles
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