Healthy Lunch Box Ideas

During the school year, life seems to be so busy and can certainly be hectic. Between sports, homework, and other obligations we are always on the go. With busy mornings getting ready for school, it can be a struggle to get lunch packed for my kids. However, when I have a meal plan I am more motivated, and things are so much easier! Today I’m sharing healthy lunch box ideas to provide a week of lunch plans. I hope this helps you as much as it helped me!

 

This post is sponsored by Rubbermaid®; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, when I have meal prepped in advance it is so much easier to maintain my nutrition goals. It’s so easy to overindulge or eat unhealthily when I don’t have a plan. But when I do have a plan and it’s an easy grab and go, it ensures that even if I’m in a rush (which is basically always) I can stick to a healthy meal, and the same goes for my family.

Have you ever opened the fridge, or the pantry, that is full of food, but you can’t think of anything to prepare? Or you are rushed so you throw something together that may not be the healthiest option, or it’s the same lunch you’ve made all week. You too? This can happen to me on busy days, so I’ve found that meal prepping is so helpful. It saves time, money and helps me stay the course. One tool that is so helpful in planning is the Rubbermaid® TakeAlongs® Meal Prep Containers that are perfect for creating a meal plan and helping to eliminate the stress of cooking healthy meals to take on the go.

Whether you need to prepare lunch for the week, or you like to prepare lunch the night before, meal prepping can help keep things organized and help with healthy eating habits. TakeAlongs® Meal Prep Containers feature a divided base tray that can hold 3.7 cups of food – ideal for meal prep, portion control, and pairing your favorite food combos. The lid is secure, and it has ridges for easy stacking and storage that creates more space in the kitchen.

I have always been a night owl, and I do a lot of my work in the evening and mornings are harder for me. Meal planning is all the more important so I can be prepared and ensure a quality lunch for my kids. Also, it’s an activity that the kids and I can enjoy doing together. I love it when I can include the kids in my tasks so they learn responsibility and we get to experience more things together.

Also, if you’re like me, you may already be burned out this school year and you need some fresh ideas, so here are healthy lunch box ideas for the week!

Day 1
English Muffin
1/8 Cup of pizza sauce
3 pieces of slides cheese (cut into fun shapes when you have time!)
Side of Grapes
Side of cucumbers

Day 2
Turkey, Spinach and Cheese Pinwheels
Side of Carrot Sticks
Side of Blueberries
Pretzels

Day 3
Rice cake with almond butter and raisins
Side of cherry tomatoes
Sides of mandarin oranges
Seasoned Pita Chips

Day 4
Cumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich
Ants on a log
Side of blueberries
Cheddar Rice Crisps

Day 5
Ham and Cheese roll up
Carrots and Hummus
Side of strawberries
Goldfish

These options are all (mostly) healthy options and are stepping out of the norm of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or your typical meat and cheese sandwich. I’m hoping this quick list of healthy lunch box ideas will eliminate the guesswork and help you provide a healthy lunch for your kids on those busy mornings. Meal planning is the key!

I found my TakeAlongs® Meal Prep Containers at Walmart in the food storage aisle. They came in packages of 20 which gives me plenty to have for the week without worrying about running out! They are microwave-safe, top-rack dishwasher safe, and BPA-free, which are all very important in my book.

These are also so great for meal prepping for your own lunch and dinner as well. It helps with portion control and can help bring positive changes to your daily routine! I’m always looking for ways to improve my quality of life and overall health on the daily, and this is one important step in the right direction!

Thanks so much for stopping in today. I would love to hear your unique and healthy lunch box ideas, leave us any you have in the comments below! And if you are needing more kid-friendly meal ideas, check out my healthy breakfast recipes for kids and my fun healthy snacks for kids.

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