Quick and Easy School Lunch Ideas

With school back in season or about to be, parents again face the every day task of school lunches. If you're packing your children's lunches every day, you may run out of ideas quickly and be looking for more variety of easy and healthy lunch box items! We're here with a list of quick, easy, and nutritious ideas for school lunches that will make your lunchbox-packing easier and your kids' lunch experience even yummier.

From beef jerky and meat sticks to string cheese and nuts, we know how important it is for kids to get enough protein. School days are long days, especially when they're used to summer break! 

• Meat Snacks
• Beef Jerky
• Meat Sticks
• Wagon Wheels
• String Cheese
• Trail Mix
• Nuts
• Ants on a log
• Chopped Melon
• Chopped veggies
• Grapes
• Baby Carrots
• Cherries
• Mini Bell Peppers
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Cherry/Grape Tomatoes

High Protein School Lunch Items

When you're trying to grab quick, easy sides for a school lunch sometimes it's hard to make sure there's protein. Fruit snacks, crackers, and chips are great to pack, but protein is necessary in addition to keep them feeling satisfied and have enough energy. So we've got a few ideas to add protein in without extra hassle! 

Meat Snacks are a Great Lunchbox Snack for School

Some of the easiest and highest protein snacks are meat snacks. Beef jerky and meat sticks are quick to grab and pack a lot of protein! Kids love our flavorful, soft beef jerky. While some beef jerky can be tough and hard to chew, Top Notch Jerky is a great snack for kids because of its tender texture. In particular, we have a natural beef jerky product called Wagon Wheels that are the perfect shape and size for a school lunch snack! Our meat sticks are a kid favorite, and the classic beef jerky is just as soft, tender, and flavorful as our Wagon Wheels. 

Meat Sticks - Meat Sticks are a great school lunch snack because they're easy to grab, easy to eat, and full of protein. Just one serving (about 2-3 sticks) has 7 grams of protein! Our meat sticks are made from high-quality locally-raised beef and pork and packed with lots of tasty flavor.

Wagon Wheels - Wagon Wheels are round, flat beef jerky discs. In addition to being soft, flavorful, and a fun shape these are extra great for kids with allergies or intolerances, or if you're wanting to cut out extra ingredients! Wagon Wheels are certified gluten free and soy free. They have no MSG, no added nitrates/nitrites, and no artificial ingredients. 

Ranch Cut Beef Jerky - This is classic beef jerky cut straight from our locally-raised high quality beef. It's so easy to chew and so yummy, it's a great item to grab a few pieces and add it to any kid's lunch!

String Cheese Makes a Great School Lunch Snack

String cheese is a great way to add protein in a fun and easy way! Quick to grab and throw in a lunch box, string cheese also provides a fun activity for your kid to do at lunch time! Most string cheese has 6-7 grams of protein each, so it's another great way to make sure your kid has energy throughout the day.

School Lunch is Better With Trail Mix and Nuts 

Peanuts, cashews, and other nuts are a delicious way to add protein to a lunch. Trail Mix makes it even more delicious and fun! While the amount of protein varies with different types of nuts, trail mix and other mixed nuts can be a fun and fast way to get a boost of energy.

Celery + Peanut Butter = Easy and fun lunchbox treat!

A classic kid favorite is ants on a log. If you have an extra minute or two in the morning, combine celery and peanut butter for a high-nutrient, high-protein snack! Just cut celery into sticks, spread peanut butter in the middle, and add a row of raisin "ants" for the complete effect! It's easy, it's healthy, and it'll brighten your kid's day. 

Easy Ways to Add Fruits and Veggies to Your Kid's School Lunch

One of the most time-consuming school lunch prep tasks can be making sure your little one gets some fruits and vegetables for nutrients. But it doesn't have to be hard! Here are some ideas to make this part of school lunch prep a little easier.

Prep School Lunch Fruits and Veggies Beforehand!

If you have a melon, celery, bell peppers, etc. that need to be cut up before they're ready to go in your kid's lunch, make things easier by doing it all at once! Cut up a whole bunch of the fruit or vegetable and store it in one big bowl or go ahead and divide it into individual containers! Then, when you're grabbing things and throwing them into the lunch box in the morning, you have everything chopped and ready to go. It can be hard to find the time to do this, but even if it's just a couple times a week after the kids go to bed it can save time and hassle in the morning.

Some ideas for fruits and vegetables that can be pre-chopped:

• Watermelon
• Cucumbers
• Bell Peppers
• Cantaloupe
• Celery
• Pineapple
• Peaches
• Broccoli

Easy-to-grab Fruits and Veggies Make Lunch Packing Easier

Some fruits and vegetables don't require much prep at all! Instead of having to chop them up, they're ready to grab and go as they are. Here are some examples:

• Grapes
• Baby Carrots
• Cherries
• Mini Bell Peppers
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Cherry/Grape Tomatoes
• Sugar Snap Peas

Make High Protein, Energizing School Lunches Easy!

Save this article so you can come back to it when you need ideas for easy, high-protein, nutritious school lunches! With some meat snacks for protein and mini bell peppers to add more color and nutrients, your school lunches will be tastier and easier than ever.