Are you suffering from Lunch Box-Burnout? 

For the past month, kids have been back in school and we can imagine there are parents out there with lunch box-burnout. Yes, lunch box-burnout is a real concept. For parents who are packing daily lunches for their kids, it is the struggle of creating creative yet healthy and easy lunches on a regular basis. If lunch box-burnout is your diagnosis, we have the perfect prescriptions for you: 4 Well-Balanced (But Easy) Kid Lunches! 

One of our favorite treats from Starbucks are their snack boxes. Their snack boxes are the equivalent of an adult’s lunchable. They have different combinations featuring apple slices, different types of cheese, delicious sandwiches, hummus and more. Our first idea is to create your very own Starbucks’ snack box or homemade lunchable for your little ones! 

For your at-home lunch box, you could go a multiple of directions but two of our favorite combinations are the classic box or the mediterranean box. 

Classic Box: 

Ingredients: 

• 1 Sliced Apple
• Two types of Cheese (We recommend Cheddar Cubes and Babybel Cheese)
• Baby Carrots
• Snap Peas
• Bread of Choice
• Lunch Meat of Choice (We recommend ham or turkey) 
• Sliced Cheese
• Optional: Nut Butter
• Optional: Mayonnaise and Mustard 

This classic box is a great option for pickier children. You typically cannot go wrong with classic foods like an easy turkey or ham sandwich, sliced apples paired with cheese, and easy-to-eat vegetables. Not only is the classic box easy to prepare, but it is high in protein and filling! 

If you have a little one without nut allergies, you can add a nut butter for more protein! We know that many little ones are picky eaters, but if mayonnaise or mustard are up their alley, you can always add these sauces to their sandwich. 

Mediterranean Box: 

Ingredients: 

• Hummus
• Pita Chips or Crackers
• Cucumbers
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Turkey

This box idea is a bit more creative and fun! We absolutely love Mediterranean food and this is an easy way to spin a mediterranean-twist on a classic lunch box. For a delicious homemade hummus recipe, try out our very own recipe that your kids will be sure to love! The hummus is high in protein because of the chickpeas and it serves as a delicious dipping sauce for the pita chips and vegetables. 

Pizza-on-a-Stick Skewers:

Ingredients: 

• Mini Skewers
• Pepperoni
• Bread
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Mozzarella Balls

Use mini skewers to make these easy pizza-on-a-stick skewers! Put pepperoni, bread, pieces, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella balls on these skewers for a yummy and healthy entree. Pair these skewers with a side of fruits and vegetables and you have an easy and healthy lunch ready to go! 

Breakfast for Lunch

Ingredients:

• Protein Pancakes (We recommend these Kodiak Protein Pancake Mix)
• Yogurt
• Mixed Berries
• Granola

This lunch idea is a fun twist on breakfast-for-dinner. For a filling and high-protein entree, try out the Kodiak Protein Pancake Mix. This mix creates pancakes with 15 g of protein and are delicious! Pair these pancakes with a yogurt cup and a side of mix berries and granola to eat on their own or toss on top of the yogurt of the pancakes. 

We hope these easy and well-balanced recipes cured your lunch-box burnout! For more recipes, check out our blog here.