Looking for some healthy boxed lunch ideas for everyone in the family, from kids to grownups? Check out my top 8 tips for packing up the best lunch.
Whether you’re packing a lunch for your first grader, high schooler, partner—or yourself, for that matter—you can pack a big nutrition punch in that simple brown paper bag. After all, you can be a lot more picky about the foods that go into your lunch when you control the ingredients yourself. Research shows that fast food meals contribute more calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar to your day compared with home-made fare. But lunchbox fixings can get boring fast, if you don’t change it up a notch. Follow some of my favorite tips for packing the best lunch in your brown bag or kiddy lunch box to power your day the right way. And I’m sharing some of my favorite healthy cold lunch ideas, such as this super easy Crunchy Cherry Sunflower Seed Wrap, which is sure to bring out the kid in everyone!
8 Tips for Packing up the Best Lunch
1. Follow the Magic Formula
A healthy lunch should include a balance of proteins (preferably plants!) + whole grains + veggies + fruits + healthy fats. This combo will meet your nutritional needs, help you focus on your work or school, and keep you feeling satisfied for hours.
2. Build a better sammie.
Get super-creative when it comes to your bread fillings. Try these filling ideas:
- Cashew cream
- Avocado butter
- Hummus
- Nut and seed butters
- Basil Pesto
- Baba Ghanoush
- Tempeh bacon
- Baked tofu
- Fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano, cilantro, chives, and parsley
- Greens, such as kale, cabbage, chard, arugula, and romaine
- Roasted veggies, such as eggplant, zucchini, and butternut squash
- Sprouts and microgreens
- Onions, scallions, or leeks
- Dried fruit, such as raisins, currants, cranberries
- Spices, such as cinnamon, cumin or turmeric
3. Think Beyond the Bread with Healthy Wraps for Lunch
There’s more to lunch than the same old bread day after day. Try a switch up to swaddle your fillings, such as whole grain pita, cornbread, flatbread, and wraps.
4. Super one-dish salads.
Pack a large airtight container with your own favorite salad fixings: greens, beans, chopped veggies, fruit, nuts, herbs, and more—then a vinaigrette in a separate container to add at the last second.
5. Leftover magic.
Don’t forget the power of last nights leftovers for lunch the next day. Soup, stews, chili, pasta, lentil patties, and casseroles taste just fine warmed up or even toted along in a thermos.
6. Side of veggies.
If you’re short on veggies at lunch, then pack a little baggie of fresh munchies, such as snow peas, edamame, cauliflower, carrots, and cherry tomatoes. For extra credit: bring a small container of hummus, cashew cream, or nut/seed butter for a dip.
7. Fruit for dessert.
Toss in a whole piece of fruit—a banana, apple, peach, grapes, plum, or orange—for nature’s most perfect dessert, which even comes with it’s own packaging.
8. Keep it on ice.
Throw in an ice pack to keep your lunch safe and chilled down until lunch time.
For more of my favorite healthy lunch recipes, check out the following:
Chia Seed Pudding with Berries
Curried Tofu Papaya Wraps
Vegetable Stone Soup
Black-Eyed Pea Sweet Potato Chili
Hummus with Green Peas
Berry Oat Tahini Bars
Strawberry Coconut Energy Bites
