Low-Stress School Lunches

The start of the school year is invigorating. Motivated by fresh notebooks, new pens, and clean lunch boxes, the first couple of weeks of school are often organized and ambitious. That includes sending the kids to school with creative, nutritious lunches every day.

Inevitably, life’s busy and over-scheduled routine sets in, leaving us without the time or energy to keep up the perfect lunch pace. But hope isn’t lost for the next eight months! We have some tips on how to make school lunches stress-free and delicious for everyone in your family.

Try to take some time on Sunday afternoons or evenings to plan ahead. Package up weekend leftovers into lunch-sized portions that the kids won’t mind eating cold: pasta with pesto, salad with a few extra toppings like cheese and dried cranberries, beef skewers or sausage kebabs, or homemade pizza with veggies.

Hard boil a few extra eggs while making breakfast. It’s a great protein and convenient to grab from the fridge on a busy morning. For snacks, cut up fruit and raw vegetables that can be stored in baggies to throw into lunch boxes. Do your kids like dips? Pack a small container of ranch dressing or hummus to go with the fruits and veggies. Those are delicious with pretzels and crackers, too.

You’ve shopped our specialty meats for grilling and entertaining, but what about our deli? We have a variety of cold cuts, cheeses and breads to choose from so no one will suffer from sandwich boredom. No bread? No problem. Simply roll up slices of roast beef, turkey or ham together with cheese.

We also offer prepared meals, sides, and salads to go. One prep-free option is our precooked, shredded rotisserie chicken that can easily be put into sandwiches and tossed into salads. Put a simple soup into a thermos and add the chicken for extra substance.

Looking for additional inspiration? Check out more of our perfect lunch ideas and recipes. And sign up for our newsletter to get meal tips delivered right to your inbox.