9 Healthy Back-To-School Lunch Ideas Your Kids Will Love

September has arrived, and that means primary school is back in session for almost 60 million kids.

Goodbye warm summer nights and long, exciting outings. Hello, early bedtimes and battles with kids over doing their homework.

Alright, back to school isn’t all bad. It does mean that the little ones you love are going to keep growing as people, which is a good thing. It also means that it’s your duty to make sure delicious and healthy school lunches get packed for the students in your house every day!

After all, we wouldn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on sub-par cafeteria food, would we?

To help get the wheels turning on what you can pack for school lunches, below, our team has put together healthy back to school lunch ideas you can lean on.

1. Tuna Salad Sandwich

Sometimes the classics are the best way to go when it comes to back to school lunch ideas. To that end, we love the classic deli-style tuna salad sandwich.

Don’t get too crazy with this dish. Simply throw some well-drained tuna on lightly toasted bread. Add mayo and mustard to taste and adorn with a piece of iceberg lettuce.

On the side, we like a fresh pickle and kale chips.

Warning: If tuna isn’t well-drained, it will make the bread soggy. Be sure to dry it as much as possible to avoid that. You could also make the sandwich in the morning as opposed to overnight.

2. Tomato Soup

Gourmet tomato soup isn’t the kind of lunch most kids see in the cafeteria. That’s a shame because not only is it delicious, but it’s healthy and easy to make.

Find your favorite tomato soup recipe online and add onions, carrots, and garlic for extra flair. Then, throw in some sour cream and serve with a slice of french bread.

3. Banana and Bacon Burrito

This lunch favorite will catch your kid’s attention. Often referred to as “The Elvis Burrito” this banana and bacon delicacy is simple to make!

Just spread peanut butter over a whole-wheat wrap. Then you can add bananas, bacon bits, honey and roll it up when you’re through.

4. Vegetarian Hoagies

Hoagies are delicious and messy. But what about hoagies where you substitute the ham and salami for a massive tomato slice?

Still delicious and messy.

Get an Italian roll and add hoagie style shredded lettuce, a nice slice of cheese, and a massive chunk of tomato to it. Don’t skimp on the vinegar and olive oil.

Then, cut your sandwich down the middle and pack it away for your kid with some extra napkins!

5. Chorizo Tacos

If you’re looking to add a little culture to your back to school lunch ideas, try some simple and delicious chorizo tacos. All you’ll need for this Mexican inspired delicacy are two lightly toasted corn tortillas.

Once you have them in place, fill those bad boys with chorizo, caramelized onions, scrambled eggs, and some cilantro. Serve with a side of refried beans and salsa.

6. Classic Cream Cheese and Cucumber

This is the third sandwich on our list making it clear that sandwiches do rule back to school lunch ideas. Perhaps the sandwich to rule all school lunch sandwiches is the classic cream cheese and cucumber!

This one is simple. Grab some whole wheat bread and slather both sides with creme cheese. Then, add cucumber liberally and cut in half.

Enjoy this school lunch delight with grapes!

Warning: Cream cheese sandwiches are best served on thick bread. On thin bread, the cream cheese will begin to eat away at the bread’s texture which will make for a slimy mess.

7. Ham and Cheese Quesadilla

Here’s some more Mexican flair for your back to school lunch ideas: The Ham and Cheese Quesadilla.

These are easy to make and hold extremely well between when your kids leave for school and when lunchtime rolls around. Just grab a whole wheat tortilla and throw it on a buttered pan. Then add cheese, ham chunks, and some spinach into the mix.

Fold the tortilla over and press it shut on both sides. Keep flipping and pressing periodically until lightly golden brown.

8. Vegetable Fried Rice

Vegetable fried rice is healthy and simple since it’s really just a matter of scrambling a bunch of ingredients in a frying pan.

We recommend you take vegetable oil, carrots, peas, and white scallions and cook them with some water and soy sauce. Then, once cooked, add brown rice and an egg to the mix.

Stir periodically and pack it away when everything is cooked through.

9. Beef Chili

Do you live somewhere cold? If so, incorporating a little bit of chili into your back to school lunch ideas is always a good idea.

Find your favorite chili recipe online. Then, add a splash of sour cream, onions, and crunched up tortilla chips over the top.

Serve with a slice of french bread.

For more healthy lunch inspiration, check out more suggestions on Boxed.

Wrapping Up Healthy Back to School Lunch Ideas

School is back and session, and that means you’re back on lunch making duty. To make your day as simple as possible and also give your kids simple and affordable meals each day, we recommend leveraging our back to school lunch ideas above.

Each of them takes minutes to make, are affordable, and above all else will have your kids begging for more!

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