Lunchbox/Lunch Pack Food Ideas – Part 1

Some lunchbox food ideas.

Hot/Cold Thermos Ideas:

• lasagna
• pasta and sauce, with meat balls
• oatmeal
• cold pasta salad
• meatloaf
• Shepherd’s pie
• mac and cheese
• soups and stews
• cold chicken
• cold potato salad
• cold fruit salad

Beverages:

• milk
• juice
• water

Sandwiches:

• fluffer nutter
• pb&j
• pb & bananas
• veggie
• grilled cheese

Fruits:

• dried fruits
• pineapple chunks
• apple
• banana
• orange
• mango
• papaya
• kiwi
• grapes
• raisins

Vegetables:

• celery sticks with peanut butter
• carrot sticks
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• cherry tomatoes
• grape tomatoes
• sugar snap peas in pods, uncooked
• beans in pods, uncooked
• cucumber slices

Berries:

• strawberries
• blueberries
• raspberries
• cranberries
• blackberries

Grains:

• pumpkin bread
• banana bread
• apple bread
• biscuits
• rolls
• plain popcorn
• sun chips

Others:

• homemade trail mix
• yogurt
• cheese slices

These are just some ideas to get you started. Be sure that children are only getting the serving sizes that they need, which is usually less than what we think. Overeating will lead to overweight children and many health problems.

You should also include the number of servings of each food group that you know your child will need.  This is what I pack for lunches:

1 or 2 servings grain

1 serving dairy/alternative

1 serving protein

2 servings vegetable

1 serving fruit

I do mix things up sometimes, like a vegetarian or mostly fruit based meal. Sometimes I will do something fun.

In my next post on this topic, we will look at combinations of the foods listed that will make good meals.

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