With school starting in only a few days, many parents are dreading expensive school lunches and loathe the thought of packing lunches every day. Fortunately, most children can pack (or help pack) healthy meals. I have to admit I packed their lunches when they were first in school, as they grew they helped more. Once in middle school, they are on their own! I created a chart with the following information guiding the children to making a healthy lunch. You may want your child to pack 1 entree, two servings of produce, etc. Also, I usually limit "prepackaged" food to one per day as these are more expensive. When someone has struggled to be ready to leave on time each morning, we have insisted lunches are packed the night before, or the child has to purchase lunch at school with her own money.
Entree
Sandwich
Bagel w/cream cheese
Cheese stick
Yogurt (not sugary, kid type)
Cubed or Sliced cheese
Sub
Crackers w/pepperoni & cheese (or lunch meat & cheese)
Cold entree from dinner (IE. Pizza, chicken...)
Wrap (flour tortilla w/ salad, dressing, shredded cheese & cooked chicken)
Quesadilla (melt cheese on flour tortilla cut into wedges the night before. Refrigerate
and serve w/sour cream and/or salsa)
Bacon or Sausage (only if bringing “breakfast for lunch”)
Produce
Apple
Orange
Banana
Grapes
Carrots
Salad
Celery
Cucumber slices
Canned fruit
Etc.
Salty Snack
Pretzels
Soft pretzel
Crackers
Chips
Cheetos
Etc.
Dessert
Cookie
Mini-candy bar
Fruit snack
Brownie
Etc.
For snack in classroom
(or extra lunch item for middle and high school kids):
Homemade muffin
Peanut butter crackers (Sam’s club $.14 per pkg.)
Granola bar
Fruit or vegetable
Pretzels
Soft pretzel
Popcorn
Snack crackers
Cereal
Snack mix (Chex or homemade w/inexpensive cereal,chocolate candies, marshmallows, crackers,
Sandwich
Bagel w/cream cheese
Cheese stick
Yogurt (not sugary, kid type)
Cubed or Sliced cheese
Sub
Crackers w/pepperoni & cheese (or lunch meat & cheese)
Cold entree from dinner (IE. Pizza, chicken...)
Wrap (flour tortilla w/ salad, dressing, shredded cheese & cooked chicken)
Quesadilla (melt cheese on flour tortilla cut into wedges the night before. Refrigerate
and serve w/sour cream and/or salsa)
Bacon or Sausage (only if bringing “breakfast for lunch”)
Produce
Apple
Orange
Banana
Grapes
Carrots
Salad
Celery
Cucumber slices
Canned fruit
Etc.
Salty Snack
Pretzels
Soft pretzel
Crackers
Chips
Cheetos
Etc.
Dessert
Cookie
Mini-candy bar
Fruit snack
Brownie
Etc.
For snack in classroom
(or extra lunch item for middle and high school kids):
Homemade muffin
Peanut butter crackers (Sam’s club $.14 per pkg.)
Granola bar
Fruit or vegetable
Pretzels
Soft pretzel
Popcorn
Snack crackers
Cereal
Snack mix (Chex or homemade w/inexpensive cereal,chocolate candies, marshmallows, crackers,
pretzels, peanuts, popcorn etc.)
