Sharing a few of my favourite lunchbox concepts for teenagers!
Hello mates! How are you? I hope that you just’re having a stunning morning to this point. I’ve packed this week with podcast interviews and consumer calls – right here we goooooo – as a result of the Pilot is dwelling and may take over homeschool duties.
For in the present day’s publish, I needed to share some lunchbox concepts for youngsters. I make the women’ lunches on daily basis, and I really like placing them collectively. Liv’s college gives scorching lunch, which is takeout from totally different quick meals eating places, however it’s tremendous costly (like $20 for Chick-Fil-A) they usually don’t even hold the meals heat earlier than serving it to the children. So for high quality and price causes, I hold making their meals right here at dwelling.
Final yr, I’d generally open Liv’s lunchbox to scrub it, and fairly a little bit of it could nonetheless be sitting in right here.
“Why didn’t you eat lunch? Aren’t you hungry at lunchtime?”
“I’m slightly hungry however generally I don’t actually desire a bagel or a sandwich… I’d love a meal.”
“A meal? Like what do you imply?”
“Like ramen, or rooster, or salad or one thing like that.”
This blew my thoughts. I used to be nonetheless form of packing her “little child lunches.” Don’t get me fallacious, they nonetheless regarded good and had a lot of tasty and wholesome elements, however she needed an precise meal as a substitute of a bagel or PB&J. It was an enormous lightbulb second for me as a result of I’d really feel the identical approach. I don’t like consuming the identical chilly issues on daily basis, and for lunch, I usually choose a *meal* as a substitute of a bagel or PB&J.
[And for the friends out there who might be wondering why she didn’t pack her own lunch, she was dancing 10+ hours a week last year across town and had hours of homework each night. It’s also one of those things that I’m happy to do for them – I enjoy it!]
I began asking her for lunch concepts, and taking her to Costco and Complete Meals with me to select issues that look good to her. Now I make her *meals* for lunch which might be nonetheless simply as quick as making a PB&J or bagel, however they’re extra satisfying and pleasurable.
Listed below are among the issues which might be within the rotation:
Packed lunch concepts for teen
Important course:
Pasta salad
That is the greatest pasta salad on the planet and you can also make it upfront to get pleasure from all through the week.
Chopped salad with do-it-yourself dressing
Liv loves a chopped salad and I’ll normally add several types of greens, a protein (like leftover rooster or sliced deli turkey), garbanzo beans, edamame, poshi artichokes or asparagus, grated cheese, olives, veggies, and a do-it-yourself dressing.
Jennifer Aniston salad
All of us LOVE this salad and it’s really easy to pack for lunch with grilled rooster on high.
Egg bites
These will also be made upfront and frozen. All of us love these Mediterranean Egg Bites or these Starbucks copycat egg bites.
Ramen or Buldok
She loves ramen and doesn’t thoughts consuming it chilly/room temperature, so I’ll make it the night time earlier than and hold it in a glass container.
Sliced grilled rooster with dipping sauces and rice
I’ll usually meal prep rooster or meatballs and pack these in her lunch with ranch or BBQ sauce to dip.
Ravioli with olive oil and grated cheese on high
Pre-cook the ravioli, drizzle olive oil on high and grated parmegiano reggiano.
Pizza
It’s really easy to wrap up and pack a few items of pizza
Leftovers
It’s humorous as a result of I used to hate leftovers as a child, however the women love them. Typically after dinner I’ll ask Liv what I can pack her for lunch and she or he’ll ask if we’ve leftovers from our meal. If we do, I simply pack them as much as go. Issues like lasagna, enchiladas, papusas, chili or floor beef, and stir fries are all choices that she’s needed to pack up and take for lunch.
Greek bowls with pita bread
Rice, rooster, hummus, Greek salad, grape leaves, and pita
Sides:
Fruit
I’ll wash, chop up, and prep a ton of fruit for the week since all of us love snacking on it. I normally purchase what’s in season, so recently it’s been berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries), grapes, a number of kinds of melon, and a pineapple. I soak the berries in vinegar and water for 2-5 minutes and allow them to dry utterly earlier than storing in glass containers. I additionally chop the melon and pineapple and retailer in glass containers.
Jerky
Chips – Boulder, Siete, or Jackson’s are the go-tos however she additionally loves Taki’s every so often or the Dealer Joe’s copycat Taki’s
Dried fruit or fruit strips
Poshi veggie packs
Sliced veggies with hummus
Cheese
Yogurt with fruit on high
Selfmade cookies, brownies, bars, or some chocolate for dessert
I’m making an attempt to scale back the quantity of pacakged snacks we purchase, however we nonetheless get snacky issues and pantry staples at Thrive Market < — my hyperlink saves you 40% in your first order.
So, inform me, mates: what do your teenagers prefer to eat for lunch? What’s the new lunch situtaion like at your college?
At Liv’s preschool in San Diego, they’d the BEST scorching lunch choices. You might order sushi (!), acai bowls, Caesar salads, soups, sandwiches, it was ridiculous.
xo
Gina