A Week of Back-to-School Lunch Ideas

When school is back in session, that means it’s time to start packing lunches again. Filing an entire week with delicious and nutritious lunch items that your kids will eat can be an ongoing challenge.

Assembling lunches can be harder than it seems, especially if you have fussy eaters and want to keep things reasonably healthy. Ideally, a nutritious lunch will include 1-2 servings of protein, at least one serving of whole grain, and one serving each of fruits and vegetables. So here is a week of back-to-school lunch ideas that your kids will be sure to love.

Monday

Pasta Salad on a Stick

This pasta salad on a stick recipe is fun to make and just as enjoyable for your kids to eat. Here are your ingredients:

• 8 bamboo toothpicks
• 8 cheese tortellini
• 8 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 8 (1 inch) cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese
• 2 artichoke hearts (cut in quarters)
• 8 thin slices of salami
• 4 pitted black olives (halved)

Boil a small pot of lightly salted water, cook the tortellini until the pasta floats to the top (1-2 minutes), and drain. Then, thread your pasta on a stick in any order you wish — 1 tortellini, 1 salami slice, 1 tomato half, etc. Repeat.

Here are some additional items you can add to your child’s delicious lunch:

• 1 cup pretzels
• ½ cup avocado slices
• Grapes
• Mandarin orange

Tuesday

Sushi Sandwich Rolls

Kids love to pretend to eat like adults. While some kids might like actual sushi, we aren’t suggesting you get that fancy with your lunch prep. Instead, you can “roll up” fun and healthy ingredients in sushi-like rolls that your kids will love.

Start by flattening a piece of bread with a rolling pin or just using a whole wheat tortilla. Spread with peanut butter or cream cheese. Then top with meat, cheese, veggies, or fruit. Finally, roll them up and slice them to resemble sushi pieces.

Here are some additional items you can add to create a well-rounded lunch:

• Sliced green apples and walnuts
• ½ cup strawberries or blueberries
• ½ whole grain muffin

Wednesday

Chicken Salad Wraps

Here is an easy chicken salad wrap you can make for kids who get tired of sandwiches. In a large bowl, combine:

• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup light mayo
• ¾ cup sliced celery
• 1 cup sliced green grapes
• ¼ tsp pepper

Place about ½ cup of the chicken salad mixture onto the side of a tortilla/wrap and roll your tortilla up tightly. Slice the wrap in half.

Here are some other items you can add to your child’s healthy lunch:

• Carrot sticks with hummus
• 1 cup dried banana chips
• 3 cups of popcorn

Thursday

Buffalo Chickpea Pinwheels

This vegetarian lunch option is also delicious and filling. Combine and blend in a food processor 1 16-oz can chickpeas (drained and rinsed), 3 tbsp buffalo sauce, ¼ cup vegan mayo, and ¼ tsp onion powder. Spread the mixture onto two large flour (whole wheat is ok) tortillas. Roll them up and chill for several minutes before slicing them into bite-sized pieces.

Here are some other items you can add to this yummy lunch:

• ½ cup brown rice
• 1 small apple
• 1 cup celery sticks with almond butter

Friday

Lunch Box Quiche

These simple lunch box quiches are delicious and made from mini taco boats. You can ask your kids what ingredients they like, so they’ll be more likely to devour them. Start with ten taco boats or mini pie shells. Mix five eggs, ⅔ cup mozzarella cheese, and any fillings you want (fam, tomato, chicken, spinach, etc.). Pour your mixture into the boats and bake at 200 degrees for 15-17 minutes.

You can create a perfect Friday lunch by adding these items:

• ½ cup trail mix
• 1 cup tomato and cucumber salad
• ½ whole wheat pita

Do Your Back-to-School Lunch Shopping at Nick’s of Clinton

When you’re shopping for your children’s lunches, you want the best and most affordable ingredients. For over 50 years, Nick’s Supermarket has been proudly serving the local community by delivering a full-service experience. Our business was built on a foundation of delivering superior quality products and the highest level of customer service.

When you shop at Nick’s, we provide one-stop shopping for all of your grocery needs, including a full-service deli and meat department and Nick’s signature line of products. Stop in and visit us today or give us a call at (301) 843-4825.