Stuck for lunch ideas?

If you are like any other parent packing a lunch daily, you find you get "stuck in a rut" so quick when it comes to lunch packing.  In order to beat that "rut" I compiled a quick listing of some ideas of things to pack in my daughter's lunch.  If am stuck, then I can go to the list and maybe get an idea that is fresh and I had forgotten about it.  Thought I would share my list with you all for those "rut" days :D

LUNCH IDEAS

Snacks

Carbs/Tummy Fillers
Goldfish
Ritz Crackers
Animal Crackers
Triscuits
Pretzels
Dry Cereal
Muffins/Cupcakes
Banana/Zucchini Bread
Granola Bar
Popcorn
Chips
Rice Cakes
Cookies
Garlic Bread sticks/buns
Mini bagels

Fruit

Apples (sliced, with peanut butter to dip if you want) Great idea for keeping fresh and not browned is to use elastic

 

Oranges
Peaches (fresh or canned but if canned look for light or no syrup)
Fruit salad
Cherries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Pineapple
Watermelon (cubed, sliced or melon balled)
Grapes
Dried Fruit: Craisins/raisins/apricots (great to have on hand in case you have no fresh fruit one day)
Apple sauce (homemade is so easy: tart apples mixed with just water and cinnamon)
Apple chips (just dehydrate apple slices in dehydrator or oven, sprinkle on cinnamon for more flavor)
Starfruit (so fun)
Kiwi

Proteins
Leftover meat from suppers
Deli meat
Kolbassa
Boiled egg


Soup
Peanut Better Sandwich (if allowed)
Hot Dog (cut up, whole, made into octopus with noodles stuck through and cooked, spiders at Halloween)

Dairy
Cheese strings, Babybel, cheese curds
Cheese and crackers
Cottage cheese (I've been known to add food coloring to make fun too)
Yogurt (with fruit, granola, nuts on top)


Veggies
Carrot sticks with dip (ranch, hummus)
Celery with cheese and raisins
Cucumbers with dip
Red/orange/yellow peppers
Beans (my daughter loves them fresh from garden)
Snap Peas

Snacks
Jello Jigglers (shapes, squares etc...use Knox Gelatin to make)

 

Gummy Bears/works
Skittles
Smarties/M&Ms
Nuts (if you can send to school)
Chocolate chips
Trail mix
Marshmallows
Pickles
Fruit snacks, fruit rollups (can make homemade using apple sauce and then dehydrating)
Chips
Cookies

Main Dish
- Hot dogs (cut up into little octopus animals with noodles through middle: stick spaghetti noodles through small pieces of hot dogs, cook and serve)

  

- Sandwiches:

• Cheese
• Bologna
• Ham/Turkey
• Cucumber
• Turkey and Cheese
• Peanut Butter/or soy butter if nut free school

- Mac and Cheese (use thermos or send cold if your child will eat it that way)

- scrambled eggs or omelette

- cooked noodles with a bit of butter and parm cheese

- Tortillas with peanut butter and banana in it (rolled up and sliced like pinwheels)

- Pizza (homemade or leftovers, cut into pizza bites is fun too)

- Leftovers (chicken, pork chops, steak etc)

- Soup (put hot dog octopus on top for fun)

- Croissant/crackers, cheese, meat for snacky meal

- Cold pacakes/waffles/french toast (with a little container of dip.  Cute if cut up in pieces and served on skewers)

- Oatmeal (in thermos) with berries, granola, brown sugar on top

- Spaghetti or pasta noodles with sauce

It's All In The Details:

- Write a cute note with dry erase marker on the Tupperware containers

- Add little animals/dollarstore rings/decorations into snacks for a smile

- Add sprinkles on top of fruit or yogurt for surprise

- Use plastic dip/pill containers to keep dip separate

- Pack a wet wipe to wipe hands easier then just a napkin

- Freezer bag: buy cheap sponge, put water in bag, add sponge, squish and squeeze down, seal, freeze

I   * When packing a lunch I try to have a veggie, fruit, cheese product, bread product and snack everyday so that I hit all areas.  Seems to work well for us.

     Anyone have others to add to the list for all to share?