Easy Back to School Lunch Ideas: A Full Month of Sandwich Free Bento Box Lunches

Great idea list to make yummy and healthy lunches

It's time to send our kids back to school - and of course that means we need to figure out what to feed them for lunch. If you're focusing on making non-toxic choices for your family, you also want to think about how you send the food to school. Many common lunch packing items contain questionable chemicals like BPA, PVC, phthalates and lead. LEAD! Did you know that lead is a common ingredient in many lunch bags? Yuck! 

So what's a parent to do? Pick up a non-toxic lunch kit to send your little one back to school. 

For all of these recipes I use these simple tools:


(they are silicone - not plastic!)

(reusable, washable and plastic free!)


See my complete list of all my favorite non-toxic lunch gear!



One Month Of Lunches

Here is my master list of sandwich free lunch combinations. Of course, if you have healthy dinner leftovers, mix it up by adding those as well. If your little one loves soup, consider getting an insulated food container to add a hot course on occasion.

Easy Back to School Lunch Ideas: A Full Month of Sandwich Free Bento Box Lunches


Week 1:
Ideas for breakfast for lunch
(pro tip: Use silicone baking cups to keep items separated!)

Monday: Breakfast for Lunch
In the box: Whole grain waffle strips, blueberries, bacon chunks
On the side: Grapes, Yogurt

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday
In the box: Tortilla chips, Grilled chicken chunks
On the side: Bean dip, guacamole

Wednesday: Hamming it Up
In the box: Ham and cheese pinwheels, apple slices
On the side: Yogurt, grapes

Thursday: Peanut Butter Stackers
In the box: Celery sticks, apple slices, raisins
On the side: Peanut butter*, crackers
*if your child attends a peanut free school, pack sun butter or almond butter instead

Friday: Garden Party
In the box: 1/2 bagel with cream cheese, Cucumber slices, baby tomatoes
On the side: Ranch dip, trail mix


Week 2:
(pro tip: Keep wet items separated by packing them in the silicone storage jars - not in the lunchbot box.)

Monday: Build Your Own Pizza
In the box: Pita wedges, olives, pepperoni, shredded cheese
On the side: Grapes, pizza sauce

Tuesday: Little Gobblers
In the box: Turkey & cheese pinwheels, pretzels 
On the side: Peanut butter*, berries
*if your child attends a peanut free school, pack sun butter or almond butter instead

Wednesday: Farm Lunch
In the box: Baby carrots & broccoli, string cheese (cut into smaller chunks), crackers
On the side: Ranch dip, apple sauce

Thursday: Chocolate Delight
In the box: Carrot sticks, Chocolate chunk zucchini bread
On the side: Hummus, hard boiled egg

Friday: An Apple a Day
In the box: Apple ring "sandwich" (2 apple rings with peanut butter spread in between), half a banana
On the side: Trail mix, strawberry halves


Week 3:
(pro tip: Stack items on skewers to make them more fun to eat!)

Monday: Italian Antipasto
In the box: Pasta salad, string cheese and pepperoni skewers
On the side: Cucumber slices, ranch dip

Tuesday: Kid friendly "sushi"
In the box: Peanut butter* & jelly "sushi" rolls, apple & grape skewers
On the side: Yogurt 
*if your child attends a peanut free school, use sun butter or almond butter instead

Wednesday: A Berry Good Lunch
In the box: Strawberry & cream cheese roll ups (spread cream cheese on a tortilla, add diced strawberries and a sprinkle of brown sugar, roll up and slice), graham crackers
On the side: Pear chunks, blueberries

Thursday: Breakfast Stackers
In the box: Silver dollar pancakes, diced strawberries, bacon chunks
On the side: Yogurt, maple butter (peanut butter* and maple syrup mixed together to make a creamy spread)
*if your child attends a peanut free school, use sun butter or almond butter instead

Friday: Tour of Italy
In the box: Caprese Skewers (stack string cheese chunks, baby tomatoes and fresh basil leaves on a skewer), Piece of a baguette
On the side: Zucchini coins, ranch dip


Week 4:
(pro tip: Toss apple and pear slices in lemon juice to keep from browning.)

Monday: Dippables
In the box: Carrot & celery sticks, Pita wedges
On the side: Hummus, apple chunks

Tuesday: Sandwich Stackers
In the box: Turkey slices, cheddar slices, cucumber slices, crackers
On the side: Grapes, apple sauce

Wednesday: Dip and Twirl
In the box: Ham and cream cheese pinwheels, pretzels, apple slices
On the side: Peanut butter*, yogurt
*if your child attends a peanut free school, pack sun butter or almond butter instead

Thursday: Dessert Stackers
In the box: Graham crackers, strawberry halves, banana slices
On the side: Whipped cream cheese, trail mix

Friday: Banana "Sushi"
In the box: Banana sushi, pear & blueberry skewers
On the side: Diced strawberries, yogurt



Read More!

Need more healthy lunch and snack ideas? Check out Tips for Packing Better School Lunches (plus 150+ Healthy Recipes)


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6 comments

  1. I absolutely love the lunchbots container and their selection of waterbottles. Plus, that wooden fork and spoon combo is pretty cool too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Definitely cookware! My kids usually bring in hot lunches, so I need them :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. http://www.wildmintshop.com/foodware/lunch-gear---view-all/eclr12-stainless-steel-containers.asp this is one of the items I would buy. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. One of the items I would get is:
    http://www.wildmintshop.com/kitchenware/kitchen-accessories-view-all/l8sgp3-cast-iron-cookware-js.asp

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for the great lunch ideas and the giveaway. I would get my dog loving daughter the fluf doggy bag lunch box http://www.wildmintshop.com/foodware/kid-lunchboxes-and-lunchbags/ludog06-fluf-organic-cotton-lunch-bag-js.asp

    ReplyDelete

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