The coronavirus shutdown hasn’t been easy for anyone, including parents with school-aged kids. Not only has it been a time of juggling work from home, it’s also been a double whammy of watching the kids and homeschooling them as well.
On top of all that, kids are constantly hungry! They want something delicious for lunch and you want them to eat food that is healthy and easy to whip up from the ingredients you already have in the pantry. Never fear, parents, we’ve got your back with these 10 easy school lunches your kids will love during lockdown! You can either buy premade healthy meal boxes for kids or prepare some of the ideas below. Either way, your little ones will love their tasty homeschool lunches!
Turkey and Cheddar Roll-Ups
Starting with a super easy one, a turkey and cheese roll up is a kid and parent pleaser all rolled into one. Start with a plain flour or veggie tortilla and place a slice of cheddar cheese and a slice of turkey on top. Roll it up burrito style and cut in half. Serve with some good ol’ fashioned yellow mustard and some of the sides listed at the bottom of this page.
Pasta Salad
A cold pasta salad can be made before lunch and leftovers can easily be saved, making this a go-to for a whole week. Start by cooking your pasta; we like to use noodles like farfalle or wagon wheels. Strain the pasta and add some sliced cherry tomatoes, grilled chicken, and white beans. Drizzle olive oil and throw in some feta cheese as a finishing touch. Refrigerate until ready to eat!
Crockpot Chicken Soup
Homemade chicken soup is easy if you have a crock pot. Throw all of your ingredients into the pot, including chicken, carrots, and egg noodles, and low sodium chicken broth. Then, set and forget, as they say. By the time lunch rolls around, it will smell heavenly in your kitchen!
Mini Pizzas
Take a break from all the learning to make some mini pizzas with your mini me. You can get creative with the toppings depending on what’s in your pantry. Ham and pineapple or potato and bacon. How does pepperoni and pickles sound? Let your creativity shine with this fun lunch.
Turkey or Veggie Burgers
As lighter, healthier alternatives to beef burgers, turkey or veggie burgers make great lunches for kids. They are filling and delish, plus your kid may not even realize they aren’t a regular burger.
Almond Butter and Jelly
A simple twist on a cult favorite, we love an AB+J as it is slightly healthier than peanut butter. Almond butter has more vitamins and minerals, fiber, and healthy fats than its counterpart. Kids love the taste, too!
Chicken Nuggets
Buy them fresh or frozen, pop ’em in the oven or toaster oven and serve with a side of ketchup or whatever dipping sauce your little ones love.
Crepes
The perfect accompaniment to an at-home French lesson: crepes. All you need is flour, milk, eggs, and oil to create this lightweight counterpart to pancakes. Fill them with ham and cheese or for a sweet treat, Nutella and banana.
Tacos
Quarantine might be the perfect time to introduce Taco Tuesdays to your kids. It will give them something to look forward to and what could be easier to make than tacos? Grill some chicken or ground beef, add shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa and watch their eyes light up. You can add other ingredients knocking around in your refrigerator, from lettuce and tomato to black beans and guacamole depending on what your kids think is yummy.
Broccoli Mac & Cheese
If your child doesn’t cringe at the sight of veggies, whip up some simple mac and cheese with cooked broccoli and bacon or ham. This all-in-one meal is a tasty, healthy, and easy way to fuel their afternoon studies.
For a Snack Attack:
- Clementines
- Strawberries
- Dark chocolate squares
- Pita chips
- Cheese cubes
- Pretzels
- Celery sticks and hummus
- Goldfish crackers
Article written for Sweet and Spicy Monkey by Rae Steinbach. Rae is a graduate of Tufts University with a combined International Relations and Chinese degree. After spending time living and working abroad in China, she returned to NYC to pursue her career and continue curating quality content. Rae is passionate about travel, food, and writing for Yumble.
All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.
Sweet and Spicy Monkey 