With back-to-school time quickly approaching, that familiar concern of what to send to school for lunch comes along with it. Time and money constraints may make lunch-making time a worry, but these simple meal ideas may help to ease those difficulties.
Store-Bought Convenience Foods
Fortunately, there are many convenient food items available in supermarkets. Lunchables, string cheese, and pre-packaged carrots with ranch or celery with peanut butter are ideal for lunch making when time is lacking. Alternate items are continually being created by manufacturers, such as all-fruit roll-ups or pressed fruit bars, bags of dried fruit mixes, or granola bites. Some of these items are healthier than others, so be sure to read nutrition information and ingredients listed on the package.
Homemade Lunch Options
To save money, prepare ahead for each school week over the weekend by duplicating store bought products at home. Cut sliced lunch meats into circles or squares, or use miniature cookie cutters to create interesting shapes. Place sliced meats, a variety of home-cubed cheese, and crackers into separate containers. Rather than paying for the convenience of individual Jell-O containers, prepare a batch at home and pre-fill enough containers to use for the week.
For ultimate freshness, prepare Items such as sliced fruits and vegetables the morning before they are being carried to school for lunchtime. Soak sliced apples in lemon-lime soda or in lemon juice to help prevent them from turning brown. While baby carrots are convenient, they are generally more expensive than buying whole carrots that can be sliced down to miniature sized at home.
More Simple Lunch Ideas
- Freeze yogurt overnight to keep it fresh until lunch time as it thaws.
- Homemade Apple-Granola muffins or homemade energy bars offer a serving of grains along with a serving of fruit.
- Create a portable relish tray including olives, pickles, baby corn, and other small convenient snack items.
- Transform an ordinary sandwich into an appetizing work of art by using a cookie cutter to form it into an interesting shape.
- Rather than using freezer packs to keep foods cool, freezing orange juice or limeade in plastic bottles will not only act as a freezer pack replacement, but also serve as a delicious lunchtime slushy.
- Create a sandwich variation using either pancakes or waffles instead of bread.
- Instead of crackers, fill a baggie or plastic container with dry cereal for a crunchy treat.
Creating a fun and wholesome lunch doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Combining food items that aren’t normally served together will produce a nutritious, enjoyable meal without the expense of store-bought convenience items.
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