Getting ready for back-to-school season means getting ready for another year of school drop-offs, extracurriculars, parent-teacher meetings, and packing lunches. Packing lunches can be one of those tasks that feels never-ending.
For all parents, it also means juggling finding the time to actually pack said lunches, finding healthy food, and trying to meet everyone’s preferences.
We thought of that, so we created a quick guide packed with time-saving tips and easy lunches that your kids will enjoy.
From Prep to Plate: Time-Saving Lunch Tips and Ideas
Here are nine practical lunch-packing strategies followed by four quick and easy lunch ideas (with grocery lists):
1. Create a Lunch-Packing Station
As with most things in life, your best work will come from a tidy, dedicated workspace. Keep all your lunch essentials, such as containers, utensils, napkins, and snacks, in one spot. Maybe for you it’s the pantry, or a shelf in the fridge. Keeping your kitchen organized will make sure this process is seamless and easy each day.
Use bins or small baskets to separate on-the-go items like granola bars, fruit cups, or cheese sticks.
2. Pre-Portion Snacks for the Week
This is a big one. Save yourself time by portioning out dry items like crackers, pretzels, trail mix, or hardy fruits like grapes and green apples into reusable snack bags or small containers on Sunday night.
Store them in a labeled bin in the fridge or pantry for easy access in the morning.
3. Chop Veggies Ahead of Time
Slice cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, or snap peas in bulk and store them in airtight containers with a damp paper towel to keep them fresh. They’re great to have on hand for after-school snacks, too.
4. Invest in the Right Containers
Bento boxes, salad containers with built-in dressing holders, and flexible leakproof containers make it easier to pack a variety of items without creating a mess. We recommend getting ones that are dishwasher-safe, smash-proof, and easy for small hands to open this back-to-school season. Make sure to explore pantry organization tips, too, so you don’t get overwhelmed with too many containers!
5. Mix and Match Components
Remember those soggy sandwiches from your school days? We do too.
Instead of making a whole sandwich every day, think of lunch in terms of sections: protein (like rolled turkey slices or hard-boiled eggs), fruits, veggies, a grain (like crackers or mini pitas), and a treat.
You can easily prep these ahead of time, or you can let the kids help assemble their lunch from the options you’ve prepped ahead of time.
6. Choose Snacks That Do Double Duty
Consider snacks that can keep lunches cool and be ready to eat by midday. Freeze items like yogurt tubes, pudding cups, or applesauce the night before. They’ll act as ice packs in the lunchbox and thaw just in time to enjoy at lunch.
7. Try Hot Lunches for Variety
Easy leftovers like pasta, soup, or classic ‘meat and potatoes’ dishes can make great warm lunches.
Heat them up in the morning and pack them in an insulated lunch box container to keep everything warm and ready to eat.
8. Make a Weekly Lunch Plan
It doesn’t need to be fancy. Even a quick brain dump in your Notes app is great for creating a simple lunch menu for the week, even if it’s a mish-mash of grocery lists and meal ideas. It takes the guesswork out of what to pack and helps with grocery shopping and prep.
9. Prep DIY Lunchables
Slice deli meat, cheese, and crackers into kid-sized pieces and store in containers for your own spin on Lunchables. These keep well in the fridge, plus they’re convenient for you and fun for the kiddos.
Don’t forget to add fruit or a small treat to make sure you have the classic sweet portion of the lunchable!
Realistic and Easy Lunch Ideas
Bookmark this blog for easy lunch ideas and low-stress grocery planning anytime.
DIY Lunchables
- Sliced turkey or ham
- Cheese cubes
- Crackers
- Baby carrots
- Apple slices
Mini Wraps
- Tortilla
- Sliced turkey
- Sliced cheese
- Cucumber rounds
- Grapes
- Granola bar
Breakfast for Lunch
- Mini waffles or pancakes (store-bought or homemade)
- Hard-boiled egg
- Strawberries and blueberries
- Yogurt tube
Snacky Lunch
- Pretzels
- Cheese stick
- Boiled egg
- Rolled up deli meat
- Snap peas
- Mandarin orange
- Mini muffin
Make Back-to-School Lunches Easy
When it comes to packing lunches, a little organization can go a long way for those chaotic mornings.
You’ve got enough on the go, so lunches shouldn’t feel like one more chore to cross off the list. These lunch ideas are health-conscious, delicious, and easy to incorporate into your daily life.
