My 3 kids are in school! The youngest, Lily is in school full-time for the first time and I’m using this time as an opportunity to fit in more work and some me time. My kids often have the school lunch but we also love packing Bento box lunches. I put together these Fall School Lunch Ideas including fall farm fresh produce, homemade pumpkin yogurt, pumpkin muffins and other fall treats. My kids think these are so fun and I love knowing that they’re getting some nutrients in.
What to Pack in a School Lunch
A lunch for kids at school should be balanced with most of the food groups in it. It should contain whole-grains, fruit, vegetables, protein and often dairy. Limit sugar but I do like to throw a little treat in my kids lunch. I like switching up what is in my kids lunch based on what ingredients that I have on hand and what is in season. Check out some of my other lunch box tips!
Tips for Packing a School Lunch
- My number one tip has to be to pack your lunch the night before! I feel so much better in the morning when lunches are ready to go and I can just grab them out of the fridge.
- Sometimes, easiest is best- You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every day thinking of hundreds to school lunch ideas. Having a handful of go-to options and switching up your kids veggies, fruit and snack can make it fun and interesting.
- Grab a few Bento boxes– As you can see in my photos, we love Bento-style lunch boxes. They make it so easy to pack lunches without a bunch of plastic bags. Honestly, I love these for myself too! When I am going to be out of the house for awhile, I often pack myself snacks or a lunch in Bento boxes. For myself, I love silicone Bento boxes.
- Ask kids for feedback- I like asking my kids what they like in their lunches (keeping in mind that I’m not going to buy a ton of junk for their lunches). Sometimes, the answer will surprise you!
Fall School Lunch Ideas
- Pumpkin muffins- I used a pumpkin bread mix as a shortcut and added almost a whole can of pumpkin puree for extra nutrients.
- Pumpkin yogurt- See below how I make my pumpkin Greek yogurt for a festive fall treat.
- Fall treats- I picked up a couple of fall treats at Trader Joe’s that I knew my kids would think are so fun. The little pumpkins and maple leaves scream fall.
- Fall produce- I actually picked the pear and apple from my parent’s trees at their farm this fall! I also throw in whatever veggies we have on hand with some dip or as is. A little clementine pumpkin with a celery stem is the easiest Halloween healthy lunch snack.
- Nuts- My kids love nuts and I think they’re a great form of protein, fiber and healthy fats.
- Cheese- My kids love sharp cheddar and string cheese especially.
Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins
My kids went crazy for these muffins! I just took a box of pumpkin bread mix and added in a bunch of pumpkin puree which the box did not call for and topped it with chocolate chunks. The pumpkin made the muffins very moist and denser which we really liked.
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Using a food scale to make lunches
Kitchen scales are also helpful for knowing how large a portion is of treat foods. I know I can get carried away with a bag of chips for example and it can be helpful to measure out a serving.
Yield: serves 1 Amanda Hernandez
Pumpkin Yogurt
Pumpkin Yogurt is full of flavor, only has 4 ingredients and takes just 2 minutes to make.
Prep Time: 2 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes Total time: 2 mins
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix together all of the ingredients together until well blended.
Enjoy!
This post is sponsored by Taylor. All opinions are my own.
