Now that we’re a few weeks into the new school year, classrooms are set up and routines are organized (right?!), and you might be looking at your teacher lunch with longing. Perhaps you’re sick of sandwiches, and envious of those lucky students with meticulously-packed, insta-worthy lunch boxes.
In the morning rush to get to work, high lunch box standards are hard to maintain. Particularly if we, as teachers, have our own kids to pack for!
Last year while preparing my four kids’ bento-style lunch boxes, wondering what to pack for myself and rushing to get to work in time, I had a brain wave. I bought myself a large bento-style lunch box and added it to the production line in the mornings. I found that the food stayed fresh, the meals were balanced, and best of all, packing a teacher lunch box saved me tons of time!
I’ve popped together a list of healthy and inexpensive lunch box-friendly foods that both kids and teachers will love!
Meal Planning for Lunches
School teachers are super organized by nature, and many of us are conscious about teacher health and well-being. Meal planning is part of the routine for dinners, but it’s a great idea to extend this to lunches as well. Meal planning helps keep the budget in check, ensures a varied menu, and can be heaps of fun. I’ve been using our Tropical Paradise Weekly Overview to plan, and pinning it on our fridge so the kids and I all know what’s on the menu.
Teacher Lunch Box Snacks
- Boiled egg
- Fava beans
- Rice crackers and cheese
- Nuts (if appropriate)
- Dried fruit
- Trail mix
- Fresh fruit
- Mini muffins (sweet or savory)
- Raw veggies
- Pita strips
- Dip
- Popcorn
- Cookies
Teacher Lunch Box Mains
- Mini quiches
- Savory muffins
- Pita wraps
- Corn fritters
- Sushi
- Potato rosti
- Tin of tuna
- Zucchini slice
- Ribbon sandwiches
If you’re looking for freeze-ahead inspiration, make sure you take a look at Kidgredients 20 Freezable Lunch Box Foods post. Over the past year I’ve tried most of these and they’re huge hits with my kids, while being tasty for a teacher lunch, too!
Find Your Healthy Teacher Tribe
Staying on track with planning, prepping, and eating your healthy teacher lunches can be tricky, with the temptations of staff room snacks or the odd cafeteria lunch order! Find a tribe to motivate and support you. Your tribe might be friends from school, or even online!
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