Not only are these fresh meal ideas perfect in calming savage kid beasts, they're also super easy to assemble making it fun for little fingers to create themselves.
These healthy eats are ideal for all-year-round noshing! Regardless if it's back to school time, spring break, summer break, or whatever else in between, try these tasty vittles and even let them encourage your own culinary creations.
Now let AC Art Of Food lighten your healthy eating load with these ideas to satisfy your tiny scholar’s appetite...and yours!
***CAUTION***
These are very tasty and may make their way into your lunch bag as well.
Just thought I’d give you a heads up!
1.Nitrate-free Deli Turkey Roll-ups
Nitrate-free deli turkey or ham
Mozzarella cheese (lower in fat that most cheese)
Fresh spinach leaves
Layer turkey, spinach leaves, and cheese, and roll! Combine a tablespoon of mayo + mustard for the perfect dipping sauce!
2.Bagel My Tuna
Thin sliced bagels
Your little ones favorite prepared tuna salad
Simply sandwich tuna salad between bagel thins and cut into fourths. Baby carrots are the perfect accompaniment!
3.Chicken, Tuna, Egg, or Tofu Salad Boats
Fresh and firm cleaned romaine lettuce leaves
Prepared chicken, tuna, egg, or tofu salad (tofu salad: prepare like egg salad substituting diced extra firm tofu)
Add your preferred salad to a container. Wrap lettuce leaves in a paper towel and place in a ziplock bag. Have your tiny scholar to assemble the boats themselves at lunch! Shredded carrots adds awesome color and tasty nutrients!
4. Munch-ables
Your favorite crackers
Your favorite cheese/ veggie cheese, sliced to the size of crackers
Your favorite protein (pepperoni, turkey, ham (the veggie options for these work perfectly! Tofurky is a great option)
Separate each item (crackers, cheese, protein) in separate containers until it’s time to eat and stack away at lunch time!
5. Protein Caprese Salad
1 cup prepared quinoa, tabouli, or couscous
1 cup fresh spinach, kale, or other lettuce leaves
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella diced
Handful of basil, chopped
1 tbsp balsamic glaze (found near the oils and vinegars in your grocery)
Now this lunch may be geared toward a more mature palate, but it’s never too soon to introduce new and different healthy food options to kids! Line fresh leaves to the bottom of the bowl. Top with your prepared grain salad. Add tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and drizzle with glaze. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Enjoy!
6. PB&J Pinwheels
Whole wheat tortilla
Natural peanut butter
Your favorite 100% fruit spread
Spread peanut butter onto tortilla. Top peanut butter layer with fruit spread and roll tightly. Slice roll in to 1 inch sections creating pinwheel discs. Opt: Add fresh sliced fruit like bananas, peaches, pears, etc., for an added layer of fresh flavor and vitamins!
7. Ceasar Pockets
Pita round, halved and pocket opened for stuffing
Prepared Cesar salad (fresh romaine + Caesar dressing + lemon juice, and toss)
Protein: shrimp, diced turkey, chicken, or veggie protein
Toss protein in Caesar salad and stuff salad in each pita pocket. Opt: Chopped and Chef salads work super as fillers for these pockets as well! Sliced apples with a natural nut butter for dipping goes awesome with this lunch!
8. Fruit Wafflewich
2 frozen waffles
Cream cheese
Your favorite 100% fruit spread
Toast waffles. Spread one side with cream cheese and the other with 100% fruit spread. Smash together and cut into fourths. Feel free to make these PB&J’s by subbing peanut butter in place of cream cheese.
9. Crudite Sushi
Flatbread or other flavored wraps (tomato, spinach)
Cream cheese with herbs
Nori/Seaweed sheets
Thinly sliced fresh veggies (cucumbers, carrots, sweet peppers, etc.)
Layout wrap and cover with herbed cream cheese. Lay on nori/seaweed sheets to adhere to the cream cheese spread. Add veggies and roll tightly! Slice roll in to 1.5- 2 inches wide pieces. Amino acids or a low sodium soy sauce makes for delicious dipping! Opt: Make this lunch quick and easier by picking up a bag of broccoli slaw and adding it as your veggies!
Need more ideas?
Let us know which lunch idea is your fav in the comments! Or, do you have a deliciously healthy lunch/snack idea? Well let's hear that too!