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What are the Best, Quick and Easy Homeschool Lunch Ideas?
As a homeschool mom, you may feel that you never leave the kitchen! Afterall, homeschoolers are known to have second breakfast in addition to the regular meals of the day 😉 That’s why we’re sharing our favorite quick and easy homeschool lunch ideas.
Plan Your Lunch Ideas Ahead of Time
One of the best things you can do to simplify lunches is to set some time aside for a little prep. Having some ingredients ready to go will make your days so much easier.
Freeze cooked meat.
- Place chicken breasts or pork tenderloin in a crock pot and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Cook for four hours on high and then shred.
- Brown hamburger meat with salt, pepper, and a chopped onion or onion powder.
After the meat has cooled completely, divide it up into portions that will work for your family meals and freeze.
Cut up veggies. Carrots, bell peppers, jicama, broccoli, and cauliflower are all great for dipping. Serve as a side to one of the ideas below or throw them in a soup.
Find more meal planning ideas at Good Cheap Eats or 100 Days of Real Food.
5 Homeschool Lunches with Endless Possibilities
Leftovers
Leftovers are often great “as is”, but if your family balks at having the same thing again, consider reinventing the leftover. Use taco meat from taco night in a quesadilla, on top of a salad, or in a soup. Dice up grilled chicken and make a simple chicken salad. Take roasted vegetables and add them to an omelette or egg scramble.
Smoothies
You can use a basic formula for smoothies and mix them up with different ingredients. All you need is
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- A protein source. Some of our favorites include plain or vanilla greek yogurt or even cottage cheese. I know that may sound weird, but when cottage cheese is mixed with fruit and other ingredients it doesn’t taste like cottage cheese anymore (and I won’t tell your kids!) Peanut butter is great too!
- Liquid. Milk; almond, coconut, or cashew milk; coconut water; or fruit juice all work well.
- Fruit. Frozen berries or other fruit, bananas, kiwi… there are so many great options!
- Sweetener (optional). If you or your kids want to add a sweet twist, consider using some honey, maple syrup, or other natural sweetener such as stevia.
- Vegetable (optional). You can add spinach or other greens and, believe it or not, even frozen okra for some great health benefits and nutrition.
- Ice (optional). About a cup of ice is usually just right.
One of our favorites is the PB&J smoothie with vanilla greek yogurt, bananas, frozen strawberries and peanut butter. Here are some other great ones:
Sandwiches
Many of us grew up with sandwiches on white bread that included cheese that came in a plastic wrapper. You can build a better sandwich for your kids! Use whole grain breads, tortillas for wraps, or pita. If you need some inspiration, check out Taste of Home’s 48 Sandwich Ideas That Aren’t PB&J! Or to make life even easier, have a stock of sandwiches in your freezer ready to be heated up.
Charcuterie Boards
Such a fancy word for “throw meats, nuts, cheeses, olives, and fruit on a tray” 🤣 We’ve done this for years and now it’s all the rage! Seriously, though… this is an easy, quick lunch. Keep cheese, deli meats, a variety of nuts, the vegetables you cut up during meal prep for the week, and your favorite fruit on hand and you’ll have lunch ready in minutes.
Soups
Like smoothies, you can use a simple formula for throwing together a quick soup.
- Choose a protein. Cooked chicken, browned ground beef, canned beans, pork, shrimp, or crawfish all make great soups. The best part: you can use leftovers from the night before.
- Add your liquid. Vegetable, beef, or chicken broth or stock are our go-to bases, but I also like to throw in a can of V8 sometimes. It adds a great punch of flavor.
- Vegify it. At this point I usually add a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes in the pot along with some other vegetables. Use a few canned vegetables in your soup, or a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (corn, green beans, and carrots). A handful of kale right before serving is delicious too!
- Spice it up! I’m a little obsessed with herbs and spices. Having some spice mixes on hand makes it easy. Taco, stew, and Italian seasoning are popular in our house. You can save money, and ultimately time too, by making up your own blends.
Now all you have to do is put your ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Get the Kids to Help with Homeschool Lunches
Our favorite busy working homeschool mom Jen has some fantastic ideas to get your kids helping with homeschool lunches in the kitchen. Check out all of her helpful tips and 7 back-to-homeschool lunch ideas here.
Resources for Even More Homeschool Lunch Ideas
If you need some more ideas check out these websites and cookbooks! With a little prep and a list of ideas, making lunch for you homeschool kids doesn’t have to be hard.
