we are in our second full week of school and I have been having fun meal planning my girls’ lunch box ideas for the last week or so. my dietitian brain starts working and I push the limits to see what combinations my girls will actually eat when I send it. its among the first two questions I ask when they get in the car after school..

“how was your day??! did you eat your lunch??”

when meal planning for the girls I always send things they have tried before (at home with me) and I tend to include them when I am making their lunches. I make lunches in the morning while they are eating breakfast so I can talk through what I’m packing so they aren’t completely surprised when they open up their boxes at lunch. they know what to expect! the one condition they requested for ALL their lunches is for me to include fruit snacks 🙂

the girls have been using bento boxes from Stuck on You and we also have the bento cooler bags that fit these boxes specifically. I keep their lunches cool with ice packs- the bottom of the Stuck on You lunch box has a zipper pouch to fit your own slim freezer pack. I got a set of 4 ice packs on amazon HERE.

1. plain hummus, baby carrots, naan dippers, blueberries, yogurt drink
2. chicken salad (mayo + canned chicken), raspberries, pretzel sticks, snap peas, cheese cubes
3. honeydew melon, hard-boiled egg x 2, cottage cheese, pretzel sticks
4. sliced apples, grilled chicken, peach greek yogurt, string cheese
5. buttered noodles (macaroni noodles + butter), grapes, rotisserie chicken, yogurt drink, snap pea crisps
6. deli turkey, bell pepper strips, strawberry greek yogurt, strawberries, ranch dressing
7. naan, clementines, rotisserie chicken, sliced zucchini, plain hummus
8. turkey pepperoni, baby carrots, palmier cookie, popcorn, yogurt drink
9. corn tortilla, chicken meatballs, cucumber slices, baby carrots, cantaloupe
10. corn chips, salsa, grilled chicken, shredded mozzarella, guacamole
11. clementines, deli turkey, applesauce pouch, cheddar puffs (baked cheetos)
12. dry roasted almonds, raisins, string cheese, rice cakes, sliced apples
13. graham crackers + peanut butter stacks, greek yogurt, strawberries, crackers
14. deli turkey, saltine crackers, string cheese, sliced sweet pepper, raspberries
15. chicken burger patty, black bean hummus, corn tortilla, sliced zucchini + squash
16. protein waffle + almond butter sandwich (Van’s frozen brand), greek yogurt, cottage cheese, clementines
17. quinoa pasta salad (quinoa pasta, corn, peas, red pepper, Italian dressing), baby carrots, celery, pineapple
18. turkey + cheese on hawaiian roll, baked chips, strawberries, celery sticks
19. peanut butter, nilla wafers, applesauce pouch, raisins + almonds
20. snap peas, chicken burger patty, ranch dressing, fruit leather, baked goldfish crackers
21. turkey and cheese roll ups, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, ranch dressing, baked chips
22. grilled cheese, blackberries, snap peas, yogurt drink, pretzel sticks
23. chicken meatballs, corn tortilla, shredded mozzarella, shelled edamame
24. peanut butter, sliced apples, pretzels, celery sticks, yogurt drink, string cheese
25. grilled chicken, cheese cubes, crackers, sliced cucumber, carrots, ranch dressing

as far as what brand items I buy- I usually buy boar’s head turkey pepperoni and deli meat and stick to our grocery store brand cheese! I buy Danimals (yogurt drink) in bulk at Costco. the chicken burgers and chicken meatballs also come from Costco- my girls LOVE them and I usually each something similar for lunch, too! canned chicken is Costco brand (another bulk purchase option because Jordan and I eat this often, too!) the naan dippers I can find in the bakery section of my grocery store. fruit snacks come in a big box from Costco- its the Mott’s brand.