A Month of Healthy, Kid-Approved School Lunches
Here’s some simple math even the grown-up kids can get behind: 4 grocery lists + 15 ingredients per list = 1 month of creative school lunches. That’s right, with just 15 items per week, you can make a different power-packed lunchbox each day for your child. Best of all, these meals are easy to make and created by a registered dietitian to assure your child gets a variety of nutrients (and a little bit of fun) each day.
Week 1: Ingredients
Sugar Snap Peas ● Dark Chocolate Chips ● Pistachios ● Grapes ● Cottage Cheese ● Low-Sodium Deli Ham ● Apple-Chicken Sausage ● Roma Tomato ● Pineapple ● Spinach Tortillas ● Brown Rice ● Feta Cheese ● Baby Spinach ● Fresh Grapefruit ● Low-Sugar Cereal
Monday: Spinach and Ham Salad
Spinach Salad With Ham, Feta and Pistachios ● Sugar Snap Peas and Tomatoes ● Grapefruit ● Apple Chicken Sausage ● Dark Chocolate Chips
Tuesday: Ham and Spinach Tortilla Pinwheels
Cottage Cheese With Pistachios ● Grapes ● Tomato and Feta Salad ● Ham and Spinach Tortilla Pinwheels (Layer tortilla with ham and, if desired, mustard or mayo. Roll and cut into 1-inch slices.) ● Low-Sugar Cereal
Wednesday: Rice and Veggie Salad
Brown Rice, Spinach, Feta and Tomato Salad (Prepare brown rice then stir in sliced spinach, chopped tomato and feta cheese.) ● Pineapple ● Cereal and Dark Chocolate Chip Trail Mix ● Steamed Sugar Snap Peas ● Sticker
Thursday: Ham and Feta Quesadillas
Ham and Feta Quesadillas (Layer ham and feta between a folded tortilla and cook until tortilla is browned.) ● Brown Rice ● Pineapple and Grapes ● Tomato Slices ● Pistachios
Friday: Deconstructed Cottage Cheese Parfait
Grapefruit, Cereal and Pistachios ● Sausage and Pineapple Skewers ● Cottage Cheese With Cinnamon (Enjoy cottage cheese on its own or add in grapefruit, cereal, and pistachios.) ● Sugar Snap Peas ● Dark Chocolate Chips
Week 2: Ingredients
Mini Whole Wheat Pita Pockets ● Kosher Pickle Spears ● Air-Popped Popcorn ● Cucumbers ● Low-Sodium Deli Turkey ● All-Fruit Preserves ● Whole Wheat Waffles ● Mini Bell Peppers ● Blueberries ● Hard-Boiled Eggs ● Plain Greek Yogurt ● Apples ● Dried Cranberries ● Peanut Butter* ● Peaches (*Allergy Note: If your school is peanut and/or tree nut free, substitute for sunflower seed butter.)
Monday: Egg Salad Pita Pockets
Egg Salad in Mini Whole Wheat Pita Pockets (Stir together chopped hard-boiled eggs, Greek yogurt and chopped pickle.) ● Cucumber Slices ● Plain Greek Yogurt With Peaches and Cinnamon ● Blueberries and Dried Cranberries ● Sticker
Tuesday: Turkey Waffle Wedges
Turkey Waffle Wedges (Layer turkey and condiments of choice between toasted waffle wedges.) ● Kosher Pickle Spear ● Mini Bell Peppers ● Apple Slices With Cinnamon ● Dried Cranberries
Wednesday: Apple Dippers
Peanut Butter and Preserves With Apple Slices ● Air-Popped Popcorn ● Hard-Boiled Egg ● Mini Bell Peppers ● Dried Cranberries
Thursday: Turkey and Pickle “Sushi”
Air-Popped Popcorn ● Peach Slices ● Mini Bell Peppers ● Turkey and Pickle “Sushi” (Lay turkey slice on a flat surface, add pickle lengthwise to one side and roll turkey around pickle. Slice into 1-inch rounds.) ● Note From Mom
Friday: Apple and Peanut Butter Wafflewich
Apple, Cinnamon and Peanut Butter Wafflewich (Spread bottom half of waffle sandwich with peanut butter then top with thinly sliced apple and cinnamon.) ● Plain Greek Yogurt With Preserves ● Blueberries ● Hard-Boiled Egg ● Sticker
Week 3: Ingredients
Grape Tomatoes ● Cheddar Cheese ● Tortellini ● Almonds ● Dark Chocolate Squares ● Carrots ● Lean Ground Beef ● Tomato Sauce ● Fresh Green Beans ● Mini Whole Wheat Bagel ● Salami ● Butter Lettuce ● Mandarin Oranges ● Strawberries ● Hummus
Monday: Tortellini With Meat Sauce
Tortellini With Meat Sauce (Add marinara sauce to cooked ground beef. Toss with cooked tortellini.) ● Mandarin Orange Segments ● Sliced Cheddar Cheese ● Steamed Green Beans ● Stickers
Tuesday: Pizza Bagel
Cheese Pizza Bagel (Top mini bagel half with marina sauce and cheese. Broil until cheese is melted.) ● Dark Chocolate and Almonds ● Mini Veggie Salad ● Strawberries ● Sticker
Wednesday: Spring Salad
Spring Salad (Top lettuce with strawberries and almonds. Thin hummus with olive oil to make dressing.) ● Salami and Tomato Kebabs ● Mandarin Orange ● Carrot Sticks ● Dark Chocolate
Thursday: Cheeseburger Slider
Cheeseburger Slider (Prepare cheeseburger slider and top with lettuce on a mini whole-wheat bagel. Cut in half and secure with picks.) ● Hummus ● Carrots Sticks and Blanched Green Beans ● Strawberries ● Stickers
Friday: Pasta Salad Skewers
Pasta Salad Skewers (Thread tortellini, salami, cherry tomatoes and cheese on a skewer.) ● Steamed Green Beans With Almonds ● Whole Wheat Bagel Slice ● Mandarin Orange and Strawberries ● Note From Mom
Week 4: Ingredients
Cookie* ● Strawberry Greek Yogurt ● Whole Wheat Bread ● Broccoli ● Quinoa ● Black Beans ● Raspberries ● Kiwi ● Cantaloupe ● Avocado ● Macaroni and Cheese ● Asparagus ● Corn ● Rotisserie Chicken ● Salsa (*Allergy Note: If your school is peanut and/or tree nut free, substitute for another small sweet treat.)
Monday: Southwest Quinoa Salad
Southwest Quinoa Salad (Toss together quinoa with black beans, chopped avocado, corn and chopped tomatoes.) ● Sliced Chicken Breast ● Fruit Salad ● Steamed Broccoli ● Cookie
Tuesday: Veggie Mac and Cheese
Veggie Macaroni and Cheese (Stir chopped broccoli, tomato and corn into prepared macaroni and cheese.) ● Strawberry Greek Yogurt With Raspberries ● Kiwi ● Chicken Drumstick ● Note From Mom
Wednesday: Salsa Chicken
Salsa Chicken (Top sliced cooked chicken breast with prepared salsa.) ● Cantaloupe ● Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad ● Toasted Bread Strips ● Raspberries
Thursday: Avocado and Asparagus Toast
Avocado and Asparagus Toast (Spread toasted whole wheat bread with avocado and top with blanched asparagus.) ● Black Beans and Salsa ● Quinoa ● Cantaloupe and Raspberries ● Sticker
Friday: Deconstructed Southwest Macaroni
Black Beans, Corn and Avocado ● Strawberry Greek Yogurt and Chopped Kiwi ● Macaroni and Cheese (Stir black beans, corn and avocado into Mac and Cheese or eat separately.) ● Blanched Asparagus ● Cookie
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