I make all of our lunches the night before. My kids take them to school and my husband takes them to work. I love to use portable EasyLunchBoxes to keep portions in check. Even if I’m home for the day, I still make lunch for myself the night before. That way, I know I have a healthy lunch waiting for me in the fridge. Otherwise, I’m apt to skip lunch because I’m busy doing other things. I will often use my prepared lunch as a post-workout meal since I usually work out mid morning.
My list includes lunches for adults and kids, since they are different. (Maybe someday my kids will like salad!)
Be sure to subscribe to my blog (if you haven’t already!) so you can receive a free guide to a week of lunch ideas for adults and kids. Many of these “Rotation” meals are included, along with photos, lunch packing tips and a shopping list!
Give this lunch plan a try, tweak it to your liking, or create your own!
*Click on each day to see more details and pictures!
MONDAY ADULTS: My husband grabs a sandwich at work and I have a protein smoothie or a cup of soup. (I ease into the week with an easy Monday!)
MONDAY KIDS: Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich + yogurt + small bag of chips
TUESDAY ADULTS: Turkey, cheese, spinach, and hummus sandwich + fruit + nuts with chocolate chips
TUESDAY KIDS: Turkey and cheese sandwich + fruit + nuts with chocolate chips
WEDNESDAY ADULTS: Spinach salad with cucumber, tomato, feta cheese and deli meat + salad dressing + nut mix + dark chocolate
WEDNESDAY KIDS: Ham and cheese sandwich + fruit + cookies
THURSDAY ADULTS: Tuna Waldorf Salad (see recipe below) + crackers + chocolate
THURSDAY KIDS: Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich + fruit + cheese stick + cookies
FRIDAY ADULTS: Spinach salad (or other lettuce blend) with fresh fruit (strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, etc.) or dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, blueberries, mulberries, etc.), celery, goat cheese, sunflower seeds, deli meat + salad dressing + crackers + dark chocolate
FRIDAY KIDS: Turkey and cheese sandwich + fruit + pretzels with chocolate chips
SAT/ SUN: We wing it!
*Tuna Waldorf Salad: For about 2 servings, combine one can of tuna (drained) with a chopped apple, raisins, 2 chopped celery sticks, and a small handful of chopped walnuts. Add about a 1/4 cup of mayo, or plain yogurt, to achieve desired consistency/creaminess and mix until all ingredients are combined. For variety, I like to swap out the raisins for dried cranberries or dried cherries. I’ll also swap out the walnuts for sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds. I like to scoop up the tuna mixture with crackers. You could also serve it over a bed of lettuce or add it to a wrap or sandwich bread.
*I try to be creative and vary it up occasionally. In general, I stick to this plan.
*Drinks for the kids include flavored water pouches, chocolate almond milk singles (affiliate link) and Vitamin H20 Zero. Everyone has a reusable water bottle as well.
*I also send my husband to work with a morning snack and an afternoon snack. Examples include: fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese, pepper strips with hummus, celery with nut butter, bag of chips or popcorn, trail mix, and a protein bar. (See my list of Snacks for more ideas.)
*Please see my Master Grocery List for all the ingredients needed for a week of lunches!
*Please see the Breakfast, Lunch and Snack Rotation PRINTABLE for a handy reference to a week of meals!