Whether you are a busy homeschool mom on the go for the day, or sending your child to school or daycare, giving young ones a nutritious meal for times away from home are imperative to the healthy development of not only their physical resilience, but also in forming life long habits that will serve them well as they grow into adults. What we train them as important now goes a long way when they are older. Choose life over convenience. Spend a few extra moments being intentional about training their pallets to appreciate real food over factory farmed, processed “food stuff.”

While you’re at it, let them help you prepare their lunches. Bring them into the planning of the meals for the week. We have a dry erase board on our fridge where we create our weekly menu. It’s common practice around here to ask for suggestions, research fun dishes, or seek out new recipes.

Utilizing anything we can grow here at our house emphasizes self-reliance, hard work, and real time relationship with the processing of food. Visiting our local farmers together fosters a love for our community and appreciation for the challenges and dedication of those investing their life’s work into feeding others. Here are some fun ideas my family enjoys for our midday meals/snacks when out and about. Be sure ingredients are organic, local as possible, with ingredients you can recognize and recreate in your own kitchen.

Meal Ideas

• COLD LUNCH –
• Picnic Lunch: cherry tomatoes, crackers (either homemade sourdough, or other organic varieties), cheese cubes (local and organic is best), kalamata olives, cucumber slices; add in some apples or oranges; finish off with a couple of cookies (we love homemade with sprouted flour, but there are some good organic versions out there as well)
• Greek Fun: hummus with carrots & celery sticks, organic pita bread or chips, grapes, goat cheese with bit of jam on top, finish off with a bit of dried fruits with cashews or macadamia nuts.
• Classic: turkey or other deli meat on Ezekial bread with mayo, mustard and cheese; cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, bit of ranch dressing for dipping, fruit of choice: watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, or apples, date/nut bar or other real food snack bar.
• Tuna Salad: tuna salad (make it with Wild Planet, mayo, and sauerkraut), crackers, cheese cubes, celery sticks & carrots, trail mix, and healthy cookie options.

• HOT LUNCH –
• Soup: any kind will do from chili to harvest veggie to a creamy broccoli & potato – heat up and put in Thermos containers to stay hot until lunch time, or for a larger crowd bring your instapot and plug it in the kitchen on keep warm mode; add in some nourishing sourdough bread or other healthy bread options with real butter, brownie bites (or a pan of brownies when you’re feeding an army).
• Ramen Bowls: pack your jar full of Lotus Foods ramen, veggies of your choose (carrot shreds, green onions, shredded cabbage), cooked chicken or beef (could be from a previous meal – leftovers make easy lunches!) or hard-boiled eggs, throw in the uncooked ramen noddles & seasonings and bring some hot water to pour over it later (or if there’s an option for a plug in electric kettle bring that with spring water); add in a fruit bowl for kicks (berries, grapes, & orange slices).
• Taco Bowls: brown rice, cooked meat, beans on one side of your container, cold toppings on the other – lettuce, tomatoes, ranch or salsa; yogurt in separate container with a little fruit on top.

I hope this inspires you to cook up your own lunch ideas. Just a little planning will make it all worth the while.