7 School Lunches to Pack Beyond the Sandwich

Sandwiches can get so boring when packing them in a school lunch. Can’t you agree? The traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwich can only go so far. Check out these 7 school lunches to pack beyond the sandwich.

Chicken Salad

Switch up the school lunches by adding in some chicken salad. Pack the chicken salad with crackers, so your child can avoid the dreaded sandwich for a day. Give tuna salad or egg salad a try if your kids aren’t a big fan of chicken salad. This is also an easy lunch that can be packed the night before and kept cold in the refrigerator.

Mini Pizzas

Pizza is always a school lunch favorite. The best thing about mini pizzas is that they can be custom made and packed for school lunches.  Let the kids help make them the night before.  Maybe even try using biscuits as the pizza crust.  If they prefer the pizza warm you can heat it up the morning of and wrap in foil.  However, most kids love cold pizza!

Wraps

Instead of a sandwich make a wrap.  You can use tortillas or pita bread to wrap any ingredients your kids would enjoy.  Pigs in a blanket are a great lunch item that is not bad cold.  You can also make PB&J in a wrap and cut into slices for finger foods.  Make cream cheese spinach wraps and cool them the night before, these are a favorite among my little ones.  We also make lettuce wraps instead of always using tortillas.

Copy Cat Soup

Depending on your child’s age, packing soup is an excellent alternative for lunches. Pick your favorite restaurant’s soup and do a copy cat version of it for a school lunch. Can you say delicious?  You can purchase the soup containers to keep it warm throughout the day.

Homemade Lunchables

Instead of buying the processed lunchables, think homemade! You can create a lunchable out of your child’s favorite foods. Cheese, crackers, and lunch meat can be bought for pennies compared to what you are paying at the store to pile it into a container for you.

Pasta Please

There are so many lunchtime devices that can keep lunches warm these days, pasta is an incredible option for packing lunches. You can make some kid-approved Pizza Pasta.

Not Boring Salad

Salads don’t have to be boring. You can pack a salad with strawberries and spinach or green peppers and greens, the options are endless and o-so-yummy!  Fruit salad, pasta salad and salad with fresh veggies.  Plus, what kid doesn’t love Ranch? Toss in some baby tomatoes for dipping.

What are your favorite school lunches to pack beyond the sandwich?

For more back to school ideas, check out a few of my favorite blogs:

• Baked Eggs in Portobello Mushroom Caps from Confessions of an Overworked Mom
• Free Behavior Charts Printable from A Mom’s Take
• DIY Pen / Pencil Cup Holder from Mom Does it All
• Teacher Survival Kit from My So Called Balanced Life
• DIY Schultute for back to school from Two Girls One Boy and a Crazy Mom
• DIY Homework Station from Home and Garden Cafe
• No Mess Glitter Composition Book from How Was Your Day
• Personalized Pencil And Art Supplies Cup from Our Family World
• Mango Overnight Oatmeal by Upstate Ramblings
• Out of the Blue College Gift Basket from Simply Southern Mom
• Fabulous Back To School DIY Notebook Covers from My Kid’s Guide
• Monogrammed Trinket Dish from Style on Main
• American Girl Accessories Notebooks from This Mama Loves