Back To School Lunch Round-Up - The Defined Dish (2024)

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It’s time!! The back-to-school grind is about to come in HOT and us parents are gearing up for the hectic mornings of getting our kids up and out the door!

School lunches can be as complicated or as simple as you like. There is no shame in packing your kid the same PBJ and chips everyday for lunch. We pretty much all grew up like that and I am so sick of seeing the shame placed on mom’s that don’t have or take the time to make their kids the most perfectly well rounded lunchbox. We areall doing our bestand we all have our own strengths and weaknesses.

I like to keep my kids simple, fun, explorative, and something that they will *actually eat*. Yeah, bell peppers sliced up look super cute and healthy in a lunch box, but my kids don’t touch them. Maybe yours do? Maybe they love bell peppers? Then focus on that being their veggie in their lunchbox then. For Sutton (these are all of Sutton’s lunches since Winnie wasn’t in school last year) she is a little picky. She’ll eat carrots, so you’ll see in her lunchbox a lot of carrots! This lunchbox round up is only to help provide a little inspiration for your lunch-packing this year. You can adjust it to you and your littles needs.

Also, be sure to follow the hashtag #theminidish on instagram, where I share my kids lunch boxes, easy kid-friendly dinner recipes, and breakfast inspiration. Now that school is back, I’ll be sharing a lot more on there!

This lunchbox (by Lunchbots) I only use on occasion. I like the space the bento-style provides, but it does leek easily and the food will all kinda mix together depending on what’s in it. But, if you have stuff that isn’t super juicy or that would leek, this box works great.

What’s inside: turkey and cheese quesadilla using @sietefoods grain-free cassava tortilla, plantain chips and avocado smash (avocado, lime, salt), mandarin orange, strawberries, a oatmeal chocolate chip energy balls, and some baby carrots.

The bento-style stainless steel lunchbox we own in the following photos below is by Planet Box. I love it because it easily fits into their backpacks without being bulky, it’s eco-friendly, easy to clean (dishwasher safe) and the bento-style makes it fun to eat.

Homemade Pizza Lunch-able– What’s inside: store bought pizza crust that I cut out with a cookie cutter, rao’s pizza sauce, shredded cheese, sliced olives, and applegate pepperoni. oh, and a Wholesome Organic DelishFish.

Build your Own Parfait– What’s Inside: Noosa yogurt, cut fruit, Purely Elizabeth granola. Plus a little carrot, Annie’s cheese crackers, and applegate pepperoni.

What’s Inside: Banana sushi (a @sietefoods grain-free tortilla spread with Kween and Co chocolate granola butter, a banana and rolled like a burrito, then sliced into bite sized peices). Ham and turkey slices, carrots, simple mills crackers with hummus, and some raisins.

What’s Inside: banana sushi (see above), carrots and hummus, rasberries and simple mills crackers, ham and cheese skewer.

What’s Inside: Pita bread and hummus, carrots, grapes and cheese, ham, and a Wholesome Organic DelishFish.

What’s Inside: A rice cake topped with almond butter and sprinkles, pickles and olives, apples (I squeeze a little lemon juice on them so they don’t brown easily), a ham and cheese roll up (siete foods cashew tortilla, ham, and cheese melted in microwave and rolled up, then sliced).

Note: I find the Siete Foods cashew tortillas are easiest to roll like this without cracking.

What’s Inside: orzo salad (cooked orzo, diced salami, diced olives, a little olive oil to coat, lemon juice, salt and pepper). Banana sushi (see above), baby carrots, and pretzel sticks.

What’s inside: Ham and cheese sandwich (I cut them out using these sandwich cutters), baby carrots and hummus, purely elizabeth granola, and pickles.

What’s inside: apples with rxbar butter packet, ham, pita, carrots, and Made In Nature figgy pops (purchased at Costco).

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