Easy Lunches for Preschoolers
Whether you pack your child’s lunch for school, or don’t have much time for the weekends, we round up our favorite super easy lunches for preschoolers. Be sure you pack a protein, and plenty of fruits and veggies. Enjoy!
Pro tip: if it is a quick pbj kind of day, use cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of your sandwiches.
MOMable shares her original MOMable bento lunch.
“This is the lunch that started it all since my picky eater wanted the store-bought version. I wanted to up the nutrition and ingredient quality so I made my own. To date, is one of my kids’ favorites.
I keep the main lunch staples the same; either with turkey or ham and cheese, crackers and then add fruit, veggies. This is the perfect lunch to add in a new thing or two and it’s easy to customize.
Proteins like hard-boiled eggs and rolled up deli cuts and snacks like hummus and crackers, string cheese, or pretzels with peanut butter are all great options that will keep your child satisfied throughout the day.”
My Fussy Eater shares this simple recipe you can batch make in advance.
“These egg muffins are perfect for preparing in advance as they can either be eaten cold or warmed slightly in the microwave or oven. I added chopped peppers, cooked broccoli and grated cheese to the bottom of some silicone muffins cases. I beat four large eggs in a jug with some dried herbs and poured this into the muffins cases. Top with a slice of cherry tomato and then bake for approximately 15 minutes until cooked through. I served these egg muffins with mini breadsticks, some slices of watermelon and chopped grapes.”
The Pinning Mamma shares her beloved pizza roll ups.
“My kids pretty much never say no to pizza! It isn’t the most lunch box friendly food though, so I love finding new ways to remake it to get the same flavors my kids love, in something a little more lunch box friendly. These pizza roll ups are so easy and my kids can make a record number of them disappear in no time flat!
To make the pizza roll up, just spread cream cheese on a tortilla, sprinkle the cream cheese with Italian blend shredded cheese on top, then lay pepperoni or salami slices over the cheeses. Roll the tortilla up gently but firmly then slice it into 6-8 slices. I serve the pizza sauce on the side for dipping.”
Thrifty Jinxy shares these yummy apple sandwiches. If you want to send this to school, be sure to use a nut-free butter, since we are a nut-free zone to protect our students with allergies.
Pro tip: Instead of peanut butter, try sunflower seed butter, soynut butter, or tahini.
“This apple sandwiches recipe is not only pretty, it’s lots of fun to make (and eat)! It’s perfect for an after school snack or in a school lunchbox. You can even let the kids get involved to help make them. You can just prepare the apples and then let the kids take over for the fun part of the sandwich building!
Remove cores from apples and cut into 1/4-1/2″ thick slices. Spread apple slice with peanut butter. Top with granola and raisins. Place another apple slice on top and gently press together.
Repeat with remaining apple slices.”
How pretty is this toast from the Meraki Mother? These are a bit more involved, but we bet your picky eater will gobble them up.
“All you need to create unicorn toast that is full of goodness: A slice of toast, a spread (choose from cream cheese or natural thick yoghurt) and colors. Separate the spread into small bowls and have fun experimenting with the natural food colors until you have the hues you want.
Now you can start to play! If you want a cleaner “paint” look, start with a plain spread then add your colours. You can dollop them on, then spread around to create an abstract effect or go for more stylised looks with lines of colors.
If your children need things a little sweeter just add a few drops of honey or maple syrup to the mixtures. To finish off, decorate with sliced fruit, coconut flakes or even cacao nibs.
Make sure to give your children their own slice of toast and see what amazing creations they come up with.”
If you make one of these lunches, or have ideas of your own, share in the comments below or on our facebook pages!
