50 Ideas for a Healthier Lunchbox

I have a kid who doesn't love a traditional sandwich at lunch (where "doesn't love" = will hardly touch, let alone eat). So for a while, I was reading every article I could find about creative lunch box packing. They all said basically the same (not very helpful) things about how you could cut sandwiches into triangles to make them more exciting! or you could include a side of dip with baby carrots! or you could put chicken noodle soup! into a thermos!!

Not that these are bad ideas. Just that I think I already knew that.

So I've spend this Kindergarten year trying to get more creative than baby carrots with dip -- especially since I couldn't bear the thought of sending him with $$ for the awful school-provided food. After this Mouthy Housewives post about getting past packing the same-old same-old for lunches, I thought I'd make a list of the things that work for us in case anyone else is simultaneously turned off by the corn dogs on the school menu and bored of pb&j.

As an aside: my best tip for making healthy and interesting lunches (apart from getting the kids involved in the shopping and lunchbox packing) is to use the containers you bought back when the kids were toddlers. All those little snack cups with lids, sippy cups with valves, and divided containers for carrying pre-measured formula powder are the perfect size to repurpose. And there is something about the fun-sized bowls and cups that has inspired us to create lunches that contain a real mix of interesting foods. Fresh strawberries, glugs of drink, a fun trio of crunchy tidbits...the divided ones even allow for putting a side of dressing with fresh salad. And -- added bonus -- I spend $0 each month on throw-away baggies to hold food.

Bread alternatives
for when you're sick of sandwiches (read labels to avoid high fructose corn syrup and modified corn starch, and to ensure whole grains and good fiber content where possible)

1. mini-bagels
2. mini pita bread
3. whole grain crackers
   
4. pretzel nuggets (Snyder's brand has no HFCS or other junk)
5. homemade muffins (low sugar, whole grains, chunks of apple or berries)
6. goldfish crackers
7. rice cakes
8. homemade zucchini bread
9. tortillas or other sandwich wraps
   

Protein alternatives
for when cold-cuts or peanut butter just don't cut it any more

1. cheese sticks/chunks
2. yogurts (try Stoneyfield Farm, Brown Cow or some store brands to avoid HFCS)
3. edamame (include a tiny salt packet for eating time)
   
4. summer sausage
   
5. cream cheese
6. soy or sunflower butter (no peanuts allowed in our school; this makes great faux pb&j)
7. black bean or miso soup in thermos
8. dinner leftovers in thermos (heat very hot, as they will cool)
9. homemade smoothie with yogurt, silken tofu, berries, milk (make ahead, freeze in toddler cups with lids; it will be thawed but thick and very cold by lunchtime)
10. hummus
11. marinated tofu (buy in the refrigerator section)
    

Fruit/veg ideas
in case "an apple a day..." is tiresome

1. grape tomatoes
2. cucumber chunks with a few drops of vinagrette
   
3. craisins, dried apple rings or dried apricots
   
4. clementines (peel but don't divide segments so they don't get slimey)
5. seasonal berries
6. steamed broccoli with ranch
   
7. grapefruit segments
8. applesauce (Mott's makes "Healthy Harvest" in great flavor combinations like apple-peach, all with no added sugar)
9. steamed green beans or sugar snap peas
   
10. tomato soup (we love Trader Joe's organic tomato & roasted red pepper)
11. homemade pumpkin muffins (reduce sugar)
12. homemade spinach bread (add extra spinach)

Drink alternatives
for when you want to ditch the fruit punch

1. milk boxes
2. juice boxes (look for no added sugar kinds)
3. kefir (like those yogurt drinks that come in tiny bottles, except without all the HFCS and artificial colors; kefir comes in a quart-sized bottle; decant into small containers)
4. water
5. lemonade
   

Potato chip alternatives
because, let's face it, kids love crunchy things

1. Snap-Pea Crisps (dehydrated, salty sugar snap peas; my kids eat them like there's no tomorrow; Trader Joe's has 'em)
2. sourdough pretzels (again, Snyders brand to avoid HFCS)
   
3. flavored mini rice-cakes (the cheesy ones taste a lot like cheetos but without all the greasy gross)
4. popcorn
   

Sweet treat alternatives
satisfying a sweet tooth with a little nutritional value

1. berry flavored mini rice cakes (often shelved with "natural foods" rather than snack foods)
2. apple-cinnamon flavored chips (often shelved with "natural foods")
3. Welch's fruit snacks (like gummy bears, but no HFCS, with 100% daily vitamin C)
4. chocolate milk (double the sugars of regular milk, but all the same protein/calcium)
5. homemade mini-muffins (low sugar, whole grains) studded with a few chocolate chips
6. dried fruit (pineapple, mango and papaya are particularly sweet)
7. fruit and grain bars (Nurti-grain and many other brands are high in HFCS; the Trader Joe's brand has none of that and is made with whole grains)
   

Food combination ideas
just add a fruit and drink to any of these for a complete meal

1. homemade corn and black bean salsa with crunchy pita chips
2. tiny crackers made into sandwiches with soy butter
3. tomato soup in a thermos with mini pita breads
4. cream cheese and jelly sandwich on mini whole-grain bagel
5. hummus with mini pita and baby carrots for dipping
6. miso broth with carrot slices and long noodles in a thermos
   
7. sliced turkey and hummus in a whole-grain/spinach wrap

These lunches may not have the coolness factor of purchasing a tray full of starchy goodness, but they do have the advantage of being full of vitamins and interesting flavors.

What are your lunch box staples? Anything we could add into the rotation would be much appreciated.