It’s been a year since Noah started his little pre-preschool program, and since then, I’ve been having so much fun packing his lunches. This is the kind of thing that gets me going— like, how can I fit in the most nutritious, fun, colorful & creative foods, without doing the same thing every day or spending tons of time packing his lunchbox? It’s like a game for me… that’s just how my brain works and I LOVE doing it.
But based on my DMs any time I share his lunches, I know not every parent feels this way. For many, packing healthy lunchboxes causes a lot of stress, overwhelm, pressing the easy-button too often with not-great-quality options, and time crunches that are not ideal. And I get it— I mean, really, how many combos are there to pack that you know your kid will eat, enjoy and get fuel from?
So, I’ve been determined to try and help. Especially the parents here in this community where I know the desire & *want* to feed your kids great is there…. it’s sometimes just the practical stuff of WHAT and HOW. And how to do it quickly.
I’ve been taking massive notes. And noticing patterns to my lunchbox creations. It’s almost like a matrix. A mix & match choose your own adventure, if you will. For completely nourished and balanced healthy meals, that are simple to whip together in a snap. Oh… and also fun and easy to eat.
And today I’m so happy to share that I created what I hope will be a super-helpful (and free) resource for any parent who wants to streamline their lunch-packing game. My new printable pdf guide, Healthy Lunchbox Ideas, a simple and healthy mix-and-match plan for you to pick from a few categories to fill your little one’s lunchbox is here! And you can get it delivered straight to your inbox right now by clicking here. Send it to someone you love with little kids!
For context, all of the lunchbox pairings inside are:
- Nut-free (to comply with most school rules these days)
- Made with nourishing, grounding and filling REAL FOODS so your little can have great energy and love their lunches
- Gluten-free (but you can add it in if you can tolerate it)
Inside it, I talk about the “categories” I pull from each time I pack a lunch.
They are: Veggies, Sandwich (or other picnic-style main dish), a Salty/Crunchy (but still real-food ingredients) item, Fruit and/or Dips. Inside the guide, I provide TONS of options inside each category, and then lots of examples of combinations that I use often so you have plenty of inspiration for your own lunchbox creations.
Here are a few healthy lunchbox examples:
Lunchbox Idea #1:
Cucumbers + turkey hummus tomato sandwich + cheddar cheese + one satsuma
Lunchbox Idea #2:
Baby tomatoes + sunflower butter with jam on rice cakes + a turkey stick + blueberries
Lunchbox Idea #3:
Snap peas + sunflower butter with banana & cinnamon sandwich + olives with GF crackers + a plum
See? It’s not so overwhelming when you have a formula and ideas to pick from, imho.
And if you’re looking for great lunchbox accessories, here are some of my favs:
- Lunchbox
- Snack containers
- Reusable snack bags
- Stainless steel containers with lids (use these daily!)
- No-spill water bottle with straw
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Don’t forget to download the full guide for free healthy lunchbox ideas!
photo by Talitha Bullock