Childhood obesity, juvenile diabetes, Covid 19, gluten and nut allergies--schools and parents face these and so many more health concerns. Health is about more than just treatment. Prevention is the key. Along with the sanitizer and mask, don't forget to pack healthy school lunches. Looking for portable lunchbox foods kids will love? Here's monthly lunch menu of easy, healthy school lunch recipes from A-Z! Engage kids packing their own school lunches with these easy kid-friendly lunch recipes. Teach them to read product nutrition data. Some "healthy foods" are surprisingly unhealthy and some brands are healthier than others. Use snack-sized zippered bags for kid-friendly portion control and to avoid waste. Rotate this lunch menu monthly so kids won't get bored.
A+ Applewich: Spread light oat grain or keto bread with almond butter or natural peanut butter (no transfat). Add sliced apples or apple butter. These will be in hot demand on your monthly lunch menu.
Banana Boats--cut two slits in banana and peel back skin part way. Remove a little banana and fill with peanut butter and apple slices. Save removed banana for PBB sandwiches (lunch recipes below)
Jeef Berky (our silly name for homemade beef jerky) Click here for my obesity-busting beef jerky recipe!
Cheez-apps--Cheez-its crackers with dried apples or apple slices--sprinkle apples with lemon juice and store separately in school lunchbox.
Dogs in the blanket--Wrap Smart dogs (made with tofu) or string cheese in lettuce leaves. Add no HFCS ketchup or honey mustard if desired.
Eggs Devilishly Good--Hard boil eggs, chill and peel. Rinse and slice lengthwise. Remove yolk and mash it with mustard, light olive oil mayo or light thousand island dressing, dill weed and paprika. Fill egg cavities.
Fruit Max--Mix dried apricots, cranberries, raisins, apples, guava, papaya (don't get sugared ones) with nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and pretzels
GORP (good old raisins and peanuts) or dried cranberries, almonds, walnuts or any nuts! These travel well in a school lunchbox.
Hors d'oeuvre (pronounced, for fun, horsie doover) Poke small stick pretzels into cheese cubes
Happy Trails Mix-- Mix unsweetened breakfast cereal (Chex or Cheerioes), pretzels, dried fruit or sundried tomatoes, cheese cubes and dark chocolate chips (just a few) for a yummy healthy school lunch.
Insanely Healthy Peanut Butter Dip (peanut butter and plain Greek yogurt mixed half and half) with rice crackers, strawberries, pineapple, baby carrots, green pepper spears.
Jumble nut butter oatmeal cookies--Swap oil for flaxseed and sugar for banana. Mix with different nut butters (peanut, cashew, almond or sunflower) and mixed nuts and seeds for remarkably filling protein alternatives for vegetarian school lunch recipes.
Kangaroo Sandwiches--Stuff pita pocket bread with lettuce and chicken or tuna salad. Mix tuna or chicken with light mayo, spicy mustard, chopped celery, apples, grapes, nuts and black pepper. Be sure to call it Kangaroo Sandwiches on the school lunch menu!
Lighten Up Roll-ups--For gluten-free roll-ups, skip bread or wraps. Spread lettuce leaf with cream cheese or cottage cheese, uncured turkey lunchmeat, tomato and/or onion slices. Roll and slice. For keto, use a keto high protein wrap.
Mucho Guacamole Boats--remove pits from avocado and scrape out avocado. Mix with lemon juice, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, onions for guacamole. Fill skin with guacamole and sprinkle with cheese. Send chips separately. If gluten-free or keto, substitute cauliflower chips. How's that for super healthy school lunches in minutes?
Nuts and bolts--Mix low sugar breakfast cereals like Cheerios, Life, Chex, Corn Flakes, Wheaties and Special K. Add dried fruit. Pack organic protein milk, almond milk or lowfat milk boxes for healthy school lunch or breakfast cereal.
Olives overboard pasta salad--Cook whole grain pasta, drain and chill. Add cubed feta cheese, cucumber chunks, green and black olives and a little olive oil for vegetarian lunch recipes.
Po'boy Shish Kebobs: Skewer Swiss cheese chunks, pickles and all natural Al Fresco chicken sausage slices on toothpicks.
PBB sandwiches. Make peanut butter sandwiches with banana slices.
Quick school lunchbox recipes--Pita chips and hummus with baby carrots--Teens love these lunchbox foods.
Raw colored peppers and yogurt salad dressing (store separately). Yogurt dressing is Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice, feta cheese, pepper, dill, rosemary, oregano and sage.
Smoked almonds, broccoli, berries and yogurt dip--How's that for super portable vegetarian lunchbox foods.
Sailboat Sandwiches: PBJ sandwich cut diagonally (for boat) and then one half in half again (sails). Use light whole grain bread, natural peanut butter and low sugar jam.
Tomatoes or baby carrots and hummus are another teen lunch pleaser.
Very Vegetarian Veggie burger: Mash beans and mix with chopped veggies. Cook ahead and make into sandwich.
Wagon wheels--Cut sliced cheese round using mouth of small glass. Place inside two crackers. (This was Timer's recipe in the old Saturday morning PSAs "Time for Timer." )
Under the Sea. Serve Goldfish crackers with foil tuna packets or imitation crab sticks. Add cucumber slices and watermelon chunks for quick lunch recipes.
X-tra quick school lunches--Serve healthy power bars like Annie's or Luna bars. These make great school snacks or lunches that satisfy.
YOLO--Lemon or orange flavored yogurt cups or Greek yogurt cups like Light and Fit, Stonyfield, Oikos, Dannon, Chobani. Avoid "kid" yogurt or yogurts with granola, candy, dyes or junk in them. Choose small yogurt cups for less waste. Or mix plain Greek yogurt with organic lemonade, peeled grapefruit and oranges. Serve with nuts for vegetarian, keto and gluten-free school lunches. Filled with immunity boosting antioxidants, these help prevent Covid 19.
Zucchini "Sushi" Rollups--Spread turkey lunch meat or cheese slice with cream cheese and wrap around skinny spears of zucchini, carrots, green peppers, cucumbers and scallions.
You can beat childhood obesity without ever mentioning the word "diet." And these healthy school lunches boost immunity and so keep even Covid 19 at bay! Use the recipes on nutrition lesson plans.
