Back to School Lunch Ideas

PLUS A Helpful Build-Your-Own-Snack Chart

Back to School is upon us! Maybe your kids have been back for a few weeks or just started back, or maybe you're one of the few lucky ones who start after Labor Day. Regardless, we’ll ALL begin packing lunches in the next few weeks. 

If you’ve been around CCN for any length of time, you know how good you feel when eating macro-balanced meals every 3-4 hours, getting in 5 colors of fruits and vegetables a day, and limiting the sugar and processed foods. Well, it's no surprise that our kids feel the same! 

Breakfast is a meal you absolutely should not skip. Sending kids to school after eating a balanced breakfast of carbs, protein, and fat will help their brains function best and keep their tummies full until lunch.

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Breakfast can easily be carb-heavy, so balance those whole-grain waffles with some protein, such as eggs or peanut butter, on top of that bagel or toast. 

Lunch can be a bit more complicated as knowing what kids are or aren't eating can be difficult. You know what you pack, but you have no idea if it's eaten or just thrown away. Try to offer fruit and a vegetable. Cutting them into fun shapes or packing a dipping sauce such as hummus or ranch might entice little ones to try something green! 

And yes, even treats are alright in school lunches in my book. A few dye-free chocolate candies give kiddos something to look forward to and take treats down from their “off-limits” pedestal to just something that we eat sometimes. I don't know about you, but telling my kids they can't have something makes them want it even more. 

A healthy, balanced lunch will keep kids full well into the afternoon and prevent that afternoon blood sugar crash/slump that we often feel when we are not fueling our bodies properly. 

Afternoon snacks at home can lend themselves to more creativity, but if you're on the go or need to pack one to send to school, an apple with a travel pouch of almond butter is always a good choice. For a packaged choice, RX Bars have a smaller kids' version that my kids love. These bars are macro-balanced and not full of the usual, unhealthy suspects found in convenient “healthy” protein bars. 

Here’s a helpful chart to reference when planning your kids’ snacks:

Yes, packing lunch can be tedious and time-consuming, but keeping our kiddos well-fed throughout the day is well worth it. If you're looking for more lunch ideas, you can check out our Back To School Lunch Guide. In it, you'll find a list of healthy grains, proteins, fats, fruits, and vegetables to pack in your kid's lunches. We've also included 5 examples of nutritious lunches, snacks, and a super muffin recipe that even your pickiest eaters will love!