Easy and Healthy School Lunch Ideas

We all want to send our kids to school with nutritious and well balanced lunches. But there are several concerns. We want to make sure our kids actually eat what we pack and don't trade it with other kids for food they perceive as "better." Kids are notorious for doing this, although they may not want to admit it. Also, we don't want them to feel slighted when they watch the kids who are buying lunch eat hot dogs and pizza and mac and cheese. Parents know many school lunches are not healthy, but kids don't always know that or even care.

So finding good school lunch ideas can be tricky. We want to make sure the lunches are appealing enough for our kids to eat and healthy enough to benefit them. And we don't want them to get bored with the same food. Following are some delicious and healthy school lunch ideas.

Burritos

What kid doesn't like burritos? You can use whole wheat tortillas as a healthier choice than white tortillas. You can fill it with anything your child likes - chicken, vegetables, beans, salsa, etc.

Pizza

Leftover cold pizza is a food that kids enjoy. And if you really want to get the kids excited about this lunch idea, try making a homemade pizza with them that you can cut up and pack for a few days. Keep it simple. Use a pre-made pie crust like Boboli. You can use pizza sauce or alfredo sauce or pesto sauce or some combination thereof. Then have your kids pile on vegetables, cheese, meat, etc. This is a great way to get kids to eat vegetables!

Chicken and Fruit Salad Sandwich

Kids love chicken. We're all familiar with chicken salad sandwiches. Now let's add some fruit for a healthier lunch idea. Chop up cooked chicken. Cut apple slices into small chunks. Mix together chicken and apple with a small amount of mayonnaise or salad dressing. Make a sandwich on whole wheat bread.

Trying to make tasty and healthy school lunches that kids enjoy can be a challenge. I hope these recipes are helpful. Please feel free to leave me comments with any other creative ideas you may have.