A Narrow Window & Bento Lunchbox Giveaway
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Hallee the Homemaker
Loving a Life of Biblical Womanhood
We are a vegan homeschooling family. This is one of our favorites:
*chickpea cutlets (I always make extras, recipe is on PPK.com or just google it)
*banana or red grapes
*carrot sticks
*peanut butter & ketchup for dipping
*almond or rice milk to drink
I can always count on our boys LOVING this lunch! The chickpea cutlets are made with garbanzo beans and vital wheat gluten so the boys are definitely getting in their protein with this one. I also add nutritional yeast to ours.
My kids like boars head roast beef wrapped around a dill pickle spear. With Apple slices or graprs, a whole wheat pumpkin muffin and a drink.
Homemade hummus and pita is one of Ellie’s favorite lunches. :)
Leftover spaghetti in a thermos container to keep it warm.
Leftover soup – again, in a thermos container.
I like to make PB&J sandwiches and then use cookie cutters to make them into different shapes (buttterflies, flowers, pumpkins, hearts, etc). Carrot sticks and grapes
Apple slices tossed in orange or lemon juice to keep from browning and a side of vanilla yogurt for dipping.
I will use the same concept with cheese and crackers (cut shapes out of cheese) and pack cucumbers and apple slices
Celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins. Whole grain bread with cheese or peanut butter and jelly. and a fruit. Throw in a granola bar (your favorite recipe or bar).
I make up muffins or cookies ahead and they go into the lunches along with a sandwich, and either carrots or celery and a piece of fruit. Sometimes I put in a container of homemade granola for a little crunch.
My daughter does not like meat or hummus, but LOVES refried beans so I think this year I will try pita or tortilla (once again cut into cute little shapes) with refried beans on the side and once again a veggie (peapods) and a fruit (pineapple, banana, etc). I don’t pack “snacky foods” in her lunch
I pack the boys the classic pb&j, but its on whole wheat bread, natural pb and homemade jelly. I use the Pampered Chef round cutter thingie to make it look like those store bought crappy ones! I pack baby carrots, fruit, mozzarella cheese stick some healthy crackers or baked chips and some type of nut. Also a homemade sweet treat, like a healthy cookie. This keeps them full till after school.
I forgot to add that my boys can easily drink more than one little juice box, so after they get one they drink water in a stainless steel thermos. So they’re getting 100% juice serving and water.
When I need to keep something cold in the lunch box, I put in a frozen water bottle. :-) I fill empty water bottles about 3/4 full with water and keep them in the freezer for ice packs whenever I need them. They can even be your beverage if you need them.
Little meatballs and a whole grain pasta salad with whatever veggies I have on hand and tossed in a light, homemade Italian dressing.
use fabric sandwich bags instead of zip locs. It saves money and saves the planet. we started doing every other day off without crackers or pretzels. Even though we buy organic crackers and pretzels, it’s still a good idea to help the kids learn the virtue of temperance (sorely lacking in our culture!).
Healthy Thrifty and Homemade Lunch Idea #1– Dessert Idea.
Carmel corn with Cashews
http://stillblondeafteralltheseyears.com/2011/02/super-bowl-caramel-corn-crack-recipe-women-over-45/
WARNING: HIGHLY ADDICTIVE
sALAD RECIPE–WILL REQUIRE A COOL-PAC TO KEEP TUNA COLD
Albacore Tuna Salad
http://stillblondeafteralltheseyears.com/2010/12/albacore-tuna-spinach-salad-recipe-women-over-45/
One of my boys favorites was homemade chicken and dumplings or chicken and rice soup in a thermos. Of course, fruit, carrot/celery sticks.
Another favorite is homemade whole wheat tortillas spread with peanut butter and raisins and rolled up.
Albacore Tuna Artichoke Sandwich Recipe
http://stillblondeafteralltheseyears.com/2010/12/albacore-tuna-artichoke-sandwich-recipe-women-over-45/
If using a cold pack lunch box, yogurt with homemade granola (with lots of nuts), grapes, veggie sticks, and some healthy whole wheat choc. chip cookies
White Bean Salad
http://stillblondeafteralltheseyears.com/2010/05/may-is-national-salad-month-recipes-for-women-45-and-over/
Vegetable soup with pistou! OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS GOOOOOOOD!
http://stillblondeafteralltheseyears.com/2010/03/golden-door-cooks-at-home-2010-1st-quarter-book-review/
Pita Pocket Pizza
http://stillblondeafteralltheseyears.com/2010/01/super-bowl-recipes-for-women-over-45/
Now tell me these are not the cutest sandwiches ever–not that i would EVER take the time to make them! http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2011/08/super-6-fun-sandwiches/
I always think the way I learned in Japan towards healthy lunches: make sure there are at least three different colors. So, I might have carrots, broccoli and apples or little cherry tomatoes or anything with color. Seems the more colorful, often the healthier!
My kids love cold, leftover vegetable rice. Healthy, thrifty (just make a little more than you need) and homemade!
– Cheese and salami pinwheels, whole wheat crackers, ‘salsa salad’ (corn, black beans and petit diced fresh tomatoes), cottage cheese with mashed berries
– Homemade honey whole wheat buns with ham, cheese and oregano filling, cherry tomatoes and cucumber hearts and stars (I used mini cookie cutters), apple sauce
– Ham and cheese on whole wheat bread, carrot and cucumber sticks with sour cream dip, fresh berries
I like making little kabobs on toothpicks out of cheese and fruit. It is a fun way to eat fruit.
We love to take flour tortillas and spread some plain cream cheese on them and then lunch meat and lettuce. Then you just roll it up and enjoy!
Pepperoni slices and string cheese with crackers.
We got a nifty travel cereal bowl at Meijer. It has a center container for milk that goes in the freezer to keep the milk cold and the cereal is kept in an attaching bowl. A spoon is even included. Tim and I use that now but I’m sure that Avery will use it when she starts school. We’re all big cereal eaters.
My grandchildren are SNACKERS! But, given my dietary restrictions and abhorrence to junk food, they know that at “Tae’s House”, they only get healthy foods. Two of their favorites include: Shipwrecks: quarter a banana and cut it in half horizontally, fill with organic nut butter (peanut, cashew, etc), and then add the “people” (Raisins”. They LOVE them.
Their second favorite is quite simple for lunches– baby carrots dipped in organic peanut butter. They love the crunch!
I love to simply just transfer dinner leftovers into lunch size portions! My oldest son loves rice and could eat that alone — hot or cold— so thats quick and easy :) Cut fruits and applesauce go well in the containers too along with pudding… No sense in buying pricey prepackaged items!
I love egg salad lettuce wraps for lunch – along with a piece of fresh fruit.
For my husbands, my brother in law and my lunches for college, I bake whole wheat rolls and chicken on weekends and mix up a salad of whatever veggies I have then make sandwiches, wrapped up in cloth napkins, and the night before I pack some veggies and dressing then in teh morning put everything in the lunch boxes with an apple as well.
OO – I also love soup – I frequently make up a big batch of soup on the weekend and we feast on soup with homemade bread for lunch throughout the week. This week it’s Summer Squash and Corn Chowder, with homemade sourdough bread.
The DH loves leftover (cold) baked chicken, slices of cheese and tomatoes and a piece of fruit for lunch. Easy to put together, easy to carry, and easy on the budget.
I also make a lot of PB&J for my kids. I use homemade bread, local all-natural peanut butter, and either homemade jam or my father-in-law’s honey. It’s hard to go wrong with that combo.
Today Ellie took leftovers – brown rice, teriyaki chicken thighs, and homegrown vegetable stir-fry. Warmed up and kept warm in a thermos.
I make my husbands lunch that he takes to work. He loves cucumbers, sandwich,& fruit. He also takes several bottles of lemon water, we put lemon juice and then water in a bottle. I freeze one to act as a freeze pack and it keeps his lunch cold for hours. Sometimes I give him a treat of a cupcake or cookie. : )
cheerios, milk, banana
cheese and tortilla roll up, yogurt cup, fruit
mac and cheese in a thermos
my husband generally get’s leftovers…and that can range from ANYTHING! chicken pot pie, pasta, soup, etc.
salami, cheese, roll up, carrtots/ranch, truit
i always make sure there is a fruit/veg, some kind of starch, and protein. along with milk in a stainless steel container, sometimes my son even gets chocolate milk!
We love turkey wraps, made with homemade tortillas. Add some carrot sticks and a homemade chewy granola bar(with chocolate chips of course) and a small bottle of water and you are good to go. BTW just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog………
How about some yummy pasta salad, with a vinaigrette base, add a crunchy apple and some home made trail mix.