Balance Bossin’: The Art of Curating the Perfect School Lunches for your Kid

Back to school is almost upon us, which means many more kid-free hours during the day (amen!) but it also means a bit more of a hectic morning routine, especially if you’re in charge of packing lunches. There’s nothing worse than rolling out of bed and scrambling to pack your kids’ lunch, only to find out that a) your fridge is empty or b) your kid refuses to eat anything you have to offer. As if you don’t have enough to think about during those crucial morning moments. While you might assume that throwing some snacks and a sandwich in a bag is a fairly simple task, it’s a lot harder than it seems. You have picky kids to please. And nutrition recommendations. And judge-y parents who will surely shame you for sending anything with artificial coloring. And did we mention picky kids? 

Packing a balanced, delicious and appealing school lunch is an art form. And ideally, if that masterpiece could be pulled together in under 5 minutes, that would be excellent. 

Luckily, we have gathered some of the best, most well balanced, delicious, good-for-you and impossible-to-mess up school lunches around. They’re easy to make, inexpensive to stock up on, adorable, fresh and dare we say it — your kids will love them. So as you gear up for the first day of school and you start to prepare your school lunch meal plans, consider these tips, tricks and tasty treats which are sure to make your child the most envied kid at the lunch table.

4School Lunch Inspiration that Any Kid Will Enjoy

Taco Tuesday Back to school lunch

And now onto the fun part — what exactly should you pack for lunch? While cheese sandwiches and PB&J are tasty, they can get really boring really fast. You need inspiration, out-of-the-box ideas, and delicious recipes to help keep your kids satisfied and keep you sane. When possible, skip the processed snacks, opt for whole grains and load up on fresh produce. Try these delicious recipes that are sure to make lunchtime more fun for your kids and packing lunches far less annoying for you. 

Taco Tuesday (or Any Day) 

This lunch is super simple and perfect for when you have leftovers from taco night — put ground taco meat (beef, turkey or chicken all work), shredded cheese and rice into one section of the lunch box, put salsa or sliced tomatoes in another, guacamole or avocado slices in another, and provide soft taco shells on top so your kids can build their own tacos at lunchtime. Feel free to improvise and add shredded lettuce, beans or any other taco toppings you prefer.

Food on Sticks

Fruit Kabob BELatina Back to school lunch

Kids love food on a stick, it’s just more fun to eat that way. You can make fruit kebabs by sliding cut up fruits (grapes, berries, melon etc.) onto a small blunt-edged skewer. You can also make beef or sausage kebabs, or these Asian chicken skewers, which are delicious and simple, and you can make them ahead and have them for lunch and dinner throughout the week.