5 Post-Holiday Healthy Back to School Lunch Ideas Kids Activities Blog

It’s hard to get back into the swing of things with work and school, after the holidays–and it’s even harder to return to healthy eating habits!

These 5 Post-Holiday, Healthy Back to School Lunch Ideas, and some fun tips and ideas to spic up your kiddo’s lunchbox will help ease the pain a little!

Fun and Yummy Back-to-School lunchbox ideas

Most of our Healthy Back-to-School Lunch Ideas feature foods your kiddos enjoy, but here are some fun ideas to fill your own lunchbox or mason jar. We love this amazing Mason Jar lunch hack by Smart School House so much, that we are putting a new spin on it with a few of our own ideas!

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1. Back-to-School Mason Jar Lunch Idea

Your little one will surely get excited in opening their lunch when you make this super cool mason jar lunch idea!

Ingredients Needed To Make Back-to-School Mason Jar:

Hummus
Wheat Thins
Salsa
Scoop Chips
Bologna
Cheese
Crackers
Vanilla Yogurt
Cool Whip
Strawberries
Blueberries

Use your imagination and make fun combinations of your family’s favorites! I also love packing these summer outings to the beach, playground, picnics, and even road trips!

2. Healthy Kale Chips Recipe

We know how healthy kale is. Your kiddos will love its chips version for sure!

Ingredients Needed To Make Healthy Kale Chips:

Fresh Kale
Olive Oil
Sea Salt

How To Make Healthy Kale Chips:

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Next, wash and dry the kale completely.
Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt
Bake 10-15 minutes until edges are brown.

3. Sail Back-to -School with Pepper Boats!

I love the scent of bell peppers. Turn it into a yummy lunch for your kids and you’ll be amazed at how good it is!

Ingredients Needed To Make Yummy Pepper Boats:

1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
Pimento Cheese
Cream Cheese
Chives
Parsley

How To Make Yummy Pepper Boats:

Cut both peppers in half, and scoop out the insides.
Next, in a mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese and chives.
Add cream cheese mixture to each side of the red pepper.
Then, add pimento cheese to the green pepper.

Bento Lunch Box Combination Ideas

I love Bento box containers they are such an easy way to make lunch fancy, and they also cut down on the waste generated from sandwich bags, foil, and saran wrap. and this Fit and Fresh container with the ice pack inside.

4. Bento Lunch Box 1

This lunch box idea contains Burnt Macaroni’s Zucchini Cupcakes, string cheese, pepper boat (recipe above), pretzel goldfish, and strawberries/blackberries.

5. Bento Lunch Box 2

This lunch box idea has a hard-boiled egg, salami slices, apple sauce, broccoli, and Cheese Its.

6. Bento Lunch Box 3

And this lunch box contains bologna and cheese, orange, kale chips (recipe above), blackberries, and an Enjoy Life Cocoa Loco gluten-free bar.

How Can I Make My Kid’s Lunchbox Fun and Exciting?

My daughter loves when I incorporate fun printables, like knock-knock jokes that she can share with the kids at her lunch table, or printable lunchbox notes!

She also loves when I pack a theme lunch! In the winter months, around the holidays, I turn my daughter’s lunchbox into a winter wonderland, by using cookie cutters on her sandwich, and smaller cookie cutters on slices of fruit or veggies. Using a marker on the wrapper of her string cheese, I turn it into a snowman! I also love separating all of her little snacks and treats in her bento box with colorful silicone cupcake liners (the paper ones work, too!).

Kids also love to help pack their own lunch! It’s a great way to teach them responsibility while allowing them to have some (guided) control over what they will dine on the next day!

Over the last couple of days of winter break, I get organized for school lunches, restocking the pantry and fridge. One of my favorite hacks is using plastic bins labeled with a number, reflecting the quantity of the item my kiddo can add to her lunch (for example, (1) string cheese, (2) veggies, etc.). I then fill them with prepped and sorted snack items, like string cheese, fruits, and veggies that I wash and slice and then package in little containers, pretzels, and other snacks. This way, when my daughter helps to make her lunch (or when I go to make it), everything is ready to go and it cuts down on the time it takes!

More School Lunch Ideas

What’s your favorite way to add some fun to your kid’s lunchbox? Comment below!