If you haven’t already started, you will likely soon begin the dreaded practice of making school lunches. Because we can’t always be on top of our game, here’s a list of seven lunch foods that freeze well from our friends at Little Humans Eating Healthy – so you can make them ahead and pop them into lunches the day of. Perfect for those of us who are so not into making dolphin-shaped sandwiches and ladybugs out of strawberries.
1. Waffles. These are probably my most favourite to make ahead because one batch of these makes about 20 waffles. That’s a lot of lunches! I usually take one waffle and slather it with sun butter or Wow butter and make it into a little waffle sandwich. So easy and healthy. I also love having these in the freezer for myself. There’s always a day when I don’t have a lunch to take with me to work. I love being able to just grab these and go. Simplicity is key.
2. Meatballs. Any old meatball recipe will do. We like baking up a big batch and then putting some away in the freezer for later. You can even put a few in a lunch box in the morning and by lunchtime, they’re thawed out and ready to go! With this recipe, if you prefer a crispier-coated meatball, return them to the oven after the second glaze and broil them for a few minutes until they begin to crisp and the sauce becomes thick and caramelized.
3. Muffins or Mini-Muffins. I find one batch of these muffins isn’t enough to have some left over to freeze as well. So I make two batches of these babies and store one away for later. They work great for quick breakfasts as well as snacks and in a school lunch.
4. Homemade Pizza Pockets. These are at their most super deliciousness when hot out of the oven. However, my kids don’t seem to mind cold pizza. So these make for a nice, healthy and filling lunch that kids love. Pretty perfect if you ask me!
5. Banana Bread. Another one that doesn’t last long in my house. So I make at least two loaves and let the little humans devour one and save the other. I actually like to slice the loaf up and then freeze the pieces in a large baggie so I can take one or two out at a time.
6. Black Bean Brownies. This is a recent discovery of mine. I made them last weekend and froze half of the brownies. Otherwise my kids would just eat them up within a day. I’ve been adding them to their lunches a few days this week. The kids LOVE them and I love that they’re getting a treat that also has the goodness of black beans in them.
7. Pancakes. Pancakes are a staple of any childhood, aren’t they? These ones have my Cocoa Super Powder in them, which contains nuts. So I don’t send them to lunch. However, on the days when my kids have an activity right after school, I take these out, warm them up in the toaster and they’ve got a yummy and nutritious after-school snack all ready to go. You can also make pancakes healthy without the nuts in the ‘super powder’ and freeze them for lunches.
What else would you add?
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Tagged under: school lunches,easy school lunch ideas,nut free lunch ideas for kids
Category: lunch
