School Lunch Ideas

My daughter and I had a long talk before she went back to school. She was not happy with the types of food she was fed or the portions. She wanted me to let her start bringing her lunch. My budget celebrated that decision! I won’t lie. $2.50 a day for lunch adds up fast. I decided to have some fun lunch box ideas for her as well as some lunch box notes.

Packing an Allergen Friendly Lunch

I wanted to do something that would be healthy as well as allergy-friendly in case kids in school had allergy issues. She is also prone to headaches with anything with nitrates so I wanted to try and do mostly clean eating options that could help her to enjoy a good meal without worrying about the potential of headaches. We picked up the Sistemo bento Lunch Box at Wal Mart for $10 for this. You could easily use another option. I just found this easy for portion control and to make sure she is getting a balanced meal option. If you notice no vegetables, she’s not a big fan so we do green smoothies each day to make sure she is still getting her vegetables.

Chicken and Yuca Fries

Ingredients Cooked Chicken Breast Yuca Fries (I followed this recipe from Gutsy By Nature.) 2 Strawberries 1 Kiwi 1 Banana 1/4 cup applesauce Sliced Cucumber Can pears in 100% juice For the chicken breasts, I put 10 pounds of chicken breasts in my instant pot with 1 cup of water for 30 minutes. I will shred and bag the chicken on Sundays to use for lunches all week.
For the yuca fries, I will prep them for dinner and make extra so I have them for lunches. For the fruit, I will divide it out among the different portions. I always have extra pears and those go in a mason jar or a sealed container in order to be ready for other lunches.

Beef Stew Meat and  Dehydrated Apple Chips

Beef Stew Meat Dehydrated Apple Chips (The Dollar Store has some great ones!) 2 Strawberries 1 orange 1/4 cup diced pears in 100% juice 1/4 cup blueberries 1/4 cup grapes 1/2 cucumber Can pineapple in 100% juice  For the beef stew meat, I put it in the instant pot with a few cups of water. Generally, this is for dinner and then I use leftovers for lunch. For the fruit, I will divide it out among the different portions. I always have extra peaches and those go in a mason jar or a sealed container in order to be ready for other lunches.  

Chicken and Sweet Potato Fries

Cooked Chicken Breast Sweet potato fries 2 Strawberries 1 mango 1 Banana 1/4 cup applesauce Broccoli Can peaches in 100% juice For the chicken breasts, I put 10 pounds of chicken breasts in my instant pot with 1 cup of water for 30 minutes. I will shred and bag the chicken on Sundays to use for lunches all week. For the sweet potato fries, I will slice them in fry shapes, coat with coconut oil, and bake at 425 until they are crispy but not burnt. *I generally add these from dinner the night before. For the fruit, I will divide it out among the different portions. I always have extra peaches and those go in a mason jar or a sealed container in order to be ready for other lunches.

Chicken and Root Chips

I try to add a portion size of root chips to the bottom compartment. For the fruit, I will divide it out among the different portions.