If you follow me on Instagram you’ve heard me say the word “lunch box series” a hundred times by now… Okay that may be a slight exaggeration but fairly (somewhat) close. The excitement to bring you guys healthy AND easy lunchbox ideas has been so REAL for me!! And the best part about all of this is that this week is my birthday week too, so it just feels extra right sharing it this week… yay!
Cute
I know some moms roll their eyes at cute lunches for kids, let’s just be honest. Perfect cut out masterpieces made with cheese slices, veggie rainbows, and unicorn sandwiches just feels like “who’s got the time for that?” Don’t get me wrong I love it and I believe that we all eat with our eyes, adults included! But at this phase in my life and with the time and resources I currently have, you won’t see any of that here. No, my goal is to pack healthy choices for my kids and make them smile every time they open up that lunchbox… just like a piece of me is right there with them at school!
Planet Box Lunchboxes
Speaking of lunchboxes… have you guys heard of Planet Box? I saw them pop up on my feed a few years ago and I really have been dreaming of them ever since! I love their stainless steel boxes and different options to fit the needs of children and their own unique needs. The lunch box I am using in this entire series is from their rover collection. It has 5 separate compartments including a little “treat” section. I love that having the treat section, gives my kids a little incentive to finish their main meal first. Also, this box included one small little ramekin for sauces and dips and a larger lidded bowl for food with sauces.
So let’s get to the good stuff…
1. Tortellini and Salami Pops
This title has me laughing a little because salami pops sound gross haha! It’s just salami with pickles wedged through a cake pop stick like a skewer. I love the ease of tortellini because it’s already tasty on it’s own without sauce and the perfect finger food! This one has a little spinach in it too and that’s never a bad thing. This lunch is a fail proof tray for the picky eater. Pasta. pickles, and salami… on a stick so it’s fun to eat. I like to sprinkle a little basil on the tomatoes just to expose the kids to yummy herbs.
Inside the box:
Salami and pickles on a cake pop stick
Cooked spinach tortellini
Grape tomatoes with Basil
Blueberries
Jellybeans
For a very little treat, I bought these jelly beans from Trader Joe’s. I am so impressed that they are made with fruits and veggies as oppose to dye. This is a big favorite in our house!
2. Pizza Sticks
Cleverly titled by the kids these quite literally are pizza sticks! Grab some cooked pizza crust, cut lengthwise and toast in toaster for a minute. We fill the small lidded ramekin with pizza sauce and put the kids’ favorite toppings on the side. they love dunking the “sticks” into the sauce. This is another find from Trader Joe’s but any other will work too! If you happen to find a rectangle or flatbread shape that will work best for the toaster.
Inside the box:
Pizza crust toasted
Pizza sauce for dipping
String cheese
Sliced cucumbers
Salami
Bell pepper slices
Green olives
Gummy Bears
3. Brunch is Best
Who doesn’t love breakfast food for lunch? My kids get so excited when we eat breakfast food for any other time except breakfast. Here are some yummy pancake muffins I made with Kodiak Cakes Whole Wheat Oat & Honey Pancake Mix. Here is the recipe I used from Pinterest. I subbed coconut oil for butter and almond milk for dairy.
Included in this meal is a fun yogurt parfait bar. It sounds really elaborate but it’s just yogurt with a side of granola and toppings like chocolate and coconut. Chia seeds would be a wonderful addition! I am also loving these Johnsonville Turkey Sausages because they cook up in a minute or two with a little water.
Inside the Box:
Blueberry pancake muffin
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Honey + cinnamon
Johnsonville all natural turkey sausages
Granola
Shredded unsweetened coconut
Dark chocolate chunks
4. Mini Sub Bar
This mini sub bar is perfect for little sandwich lovers. I love to include possible toppings they haven’t had before, hence the watercress. Other options for yummy green toppings include baby spinach and sprouts… yum! The subs have a slice of turkey on them and I used the little ramekin for some avocado. Guacamole would also be fun with some chips or crackers. Again, I love how interactive these trays are… Thank you Planet Box!
My kids cannot get enough of these Trader Joe’s French Sweet Milk Rolls! Again this is something that can also be found at most likely any grocery store. Hawaiin rolls are another great option if you can’t get to a Trader Joe’s. Sometimes I will buy two packages and freeze one until we can use it!
Inside the Box:
Mini french sweet milk rolls from Trader Joe’s
Turkey lunchmeat
Sliced avocado
Watercress
Grape tomatoes
Green olives
Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies from Trader Joe’s (animal crackers would be fun too!)
4. Sesame Vegan Noodles
I may be biased but this is my favorite lunchbox to date! It’s so nice to incorporate plant based options into the kids meals and mine just love edamame so we had to include a few in the list.*PS a note about edamame: I buy it frozen then defrost it to room temp with warm water. This is a much better alternative than buying fresh from the refrigerator section as it goes bad within a few days.
I used Banza pasta, which was my first time seeing and using it. It’s unbelievably delicious and pairs perfectly with this sesame sauce I whipped up and it has 23 grams of protein because it’s made with chickpeas!! So cool. Here is my recipe for the sesame sauce.
Once I cook the noodles I rinse the pasta in cold water then add the sauce and edamame. Top with sesame seeds and/or green onion if you wish.
In the Box:
Vegan sesame noodles (recipe and instructions above)
Mini sweet peppers
Hummus
Blackberries
Grapes
Schoolbook cookies
5. Banana “Sushi”
So this one is so hipster with it’s sushi title. But alas, I am not that cool and wasn’t prepared with cute kids chopsticks… Plus my kids eat with their hands 99% of the time so whatevs!! I love utilizing tortillas to roll up goodness. In this case it’s sun butter, chia seeds, and banana.
In the Box:
Banana sun butter roll ups with chia seeds
Whole Wheat Tortilla
Sugar snap peas
Hummus
3 seed beet crackers from Trader’s Joe’s
Applesauce with cinnamon
7. Savory Vegetable Crepes
Crepes are just too yummy to pass up… when I saw these next to the avocados I knew I had to have them! I filled these crepes with cream cheese and sauted bell peppers (cooled)… Other options include cooked chicken or any other cooked veggies your kids enjoy! Mine love veggies cooked in olive oil with fresh garlic. The filling can be made ahead of time too which is a bonus!
I added the celery with sun butter and raisins for the “ants on a log” fun… But kids probably won’t assemble these these unless you don’t, no worries because it’s still yummy!
In the Box:
Veggie crepes (pre-made crepes, cream cheese, cooked and cooled veggies or protein)
Hard boiled egg
Celery sticks
Sun butter
Raisins
Jellybeans
7. Italian Kidney Bean Veggie Pasta
Another bean and pasta dish here..! This pasta salad uses just 3 ingredients (veggie pasta, Italian dressing, and kidney beans). It’s another great make ahead dish that can be stored in the fridge for two lunch days in a row! Feel free to use your own dressing if you wish.
I used these measurements: 1/2 bag cooked Trader Joe’s Vegetable Radiatore, 1/4 cup italian dressing, 1 cup cooked kidney beans drained)I
In the Box:
Kidney bean pasta salad
Sugar snap peas
Grapes
Apple slices
Yogurt fruit dip (plain yogurt with honey and cinnamon)
Dark chocolate chips
Done for Now
Ugh Wasn’t that fun? Seriously this was a lot of work on my part but you simply must know how much fun I had. But I think the real fun will come from hearing your feedback from you and your little ones… yay!
Questions?
If you have any questions about these lunches that I didn’t answer in this post feel free to reach out and ask me! I plan to add more to this list and am excited to see your little ones enjoy these boxes. For an upclose look at these lunchboxes head to planetbox.com to check out their whole line! I purchased mine before I reached out to them, but they are sending me a lovely carry bag to tote the box to school in.
It’s safe to say I am beyond obsesed with the quality and sustainability of these boxes. I had bought several other bento boxes but nothing compares to these..! I will share more about them on Instagram if you aren’t following me head here. Also if you have not subscribed to this lovely little space of mine I call Thrill of Home, now would be a wonderful time! You can subscribe here which helps me ensure I can give you guys the best goods.
Signing out until the next inspiration!
X o X o ,
