Easy & Healthy Back to School Lunches for Kids

It’s widely known that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A healthy breakfast helps jumpstart the day, as nourishing foods provide fuel and allow kids to go back to school, raring and ready to go. Breakfast time is also the perfect opportunity to give your little ones their vitamins, whether it’s Sundown^® Kids Probiotic Gummies to support healthy digestion or one of our awesome children’s complete multivitamin gummies for overall health.*

Ensuring that your kids take their vitamins and have a belly full of a healthy breakfast lets you breathe easier, assured that you’re sending them to school fully ready to learn and process new information. But what about lunch? Breakfast may get all the credit for being the most important meal of the day, but lunch is just as important!

Lunch is the one meal you aren’t around to prepare freshly and watch your kids eat. Planning and fixing nutritious meals for your kids as they head back to school is one of the healthiest things you can do for them. Figuring out which lunches they’ll actually like can be challenging, especially if you have a picky eater on your hands.

Easy-To-Make and Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids:

These healthy back to school lunch ideas are crowd pleasers and will make their midday meals fun and satisfying

1. Almond butter & fresh strawberry wrap: This is a twist on traditional peanut butter and jelly that has much less sugar and still packs a fresh, amazing taste kids love. Use a multigrain or gluten-free wrap, spread almond butter and add some sliced organic strawberries.
2. Chicken (or tuna) salad with avocado: Dice up leftover roasted chicken and mix with ripe avocado to achieve a creamy and deliciously healthy twist on traditional chicken salad. Serve on whole grain or gluten-free bread, a wrap, or crackers. This chicken salad can also be enjoyed over greens and other vegetables.
3. Meat & cheese rollups: Turkey, roast beef, and ham are always tasty and fun— especially when they’re rolled up with cheese and a slice of tomato or cucumber.
4. Quesadillas: Stuff a wrap with shredded chicken and/or cheese to make a single-serving quesadilla. No need to be heated, it can be served hot or cold. For an extra yummy taste, pack a side of sour cream or guacamole for dipping.

These Healthy Back to School Lunches May Become Your Kids’ New Favorites!

• White bean & avocado sandwich: Drain and rinse half a can of white beans, mash them in a bowl with a little olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Serve this chunky mixture on wholesome bread, topped with cucumber or avocado slices.
• Quinoa salads: Quinoa can be enjoyed either warm or cold, combined in a bowl with chicken, seafood, fresh fruits or vegetables.
• Chopped green salads: Lettuce, spinach, or arugula piled with crisp cucumbers, grilled chicken chunks, fresh tomatoes and chickpeas make for a satisfying and super healthy lunch.
• Pasta salad: Boil their favorite noodle shape, drain, and toss with a bit of dressing. Add some protein and cheese with diced peppers or cherry tomatoes. Light, tasty, and oh so fresh!

Don’t forget some healthy snacks to go with these awesome lunches: carrot sticks with hummus, celery sticks with almond butter, hard-boiled eggs that are peeled and ready to eat, and fresh fruit. A quick parent hack is to slice your child’s pineapple or melons using a fun-shaped cookie cutter. Fruit is so much more fun to eat when it’s shaped like a heart or a star!

Now that we’ve covered what’s for lunch for the kids, what about you? The parent! Finding lunch options that are easy to make during the week can be difficult even for adults. But we have a few gluten-free ideas you might want to try:

1. Check out our Gluten-Free lunches to go to make you midday meal a satisfying one!
2. Make this quick Gluten-Free Chicken Quinoa skillet in 15mins and enjoy for days to come! Extra perk: it can be made in a single pan, so less dishes for you to wash.
3. Tilapia doesn’t take long to cook. Which is why this grilled tilapia with fresh mango salsa is a great meal option. If you have a hard time finding mangos, it can also be made with strawberries.

Giving the entire family the midday nourishment they need can help everyone be at their best, every day. Kids’ developing minds will be more receptive to learning new information when their bodies are nourished properly. Adults also need the proper nourishment to focus on the long work days ahead. In addition to a healthy diet, taking our Adult Multivitamin Gummies for bone, immune and heart health support and our Sundown^® Kids vitamins regularly will help everyone thrive everyday.*

Remember, all our Kids and Adult vitamins and supplements are gluten-free, dairy-free and free of artificial flavors!^◊