Make Ahead Lunch Box Ideas: Pack on Sunday, No morning prep!
on Sep 09, 2019, Updated May 14, 2024
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Tame the morning chaos with these Make Ahead Lunch Box Ideas. Get creative and mix and match your kids’ favorites to pack up a fun meal that they’ll love unboxing—and eating! Healthy, kid-approved, and make-ahead ideas for easy lunches.
This post is sponsored by Horizon Organic; all opinions are my own.
Meal prep at our house is an ongoing challenge, with five kids in school and lunches that need to be packed every school day. Enter the fabulously convenient concept of make-ahead lunches.
These work so well because you pick veggies, fruit, and proteins that don’t get too soft, mushy, or, ya know, weird in the fridge. Carrot and celery sticks with hummus, fresh grapes, and rolled-up sliced turkey—basically, the things you know will keep well when you put them together on Sunday until lunchtime later in the week!
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Why I Love Horizon Organic Products for Lunch Boxes
I was thrilled to partner with one of my favorite brands of all time again: Horizon Organic. Their organic cheese sticks and organic chocolate single-serve milk boxes are PERFECT additions to a make-ahead lunch box! I mean, school lunches are just meant to have chocolate milk, don’t you think?
Horizon’s cheese sticks and milk boxes are staples in my fridge and my kids’ lunches because they make lunch packing easy and round out a nutritious meal. How, you ask? Horizon Organic milk boxes have 8 grams of protein, delivering a solid source of calcium and vitamins D and B2.
Plus, the cheese sticks are another source of goodness with on-the-go organic protein from Horizon Organic. They’re available in mozzarella and Colby, making them a great option for even the pickiest eaters!
Best of all, Horizon believes “real” is what matters, and I happen to agree wholeheartedly. Power up young’uns with the goodness of protein, vitamins, and calcium without any artificial stuff packed in them.
Expert Tips for Making Lunches Ahead
- Skip things like bread, chips, crackers, and tortillas. They get soft in the fridge over time. Healthy muffins, pasta, and grains, like rice and beans last better.
- Look for proteins that last well, like hummus, yogurt, boiled eggs, and our favorite Horizon Organic cheese sticks.
- Pick firm fruits and vegetables like carrots, broccoli, mandarin oranges, and plums. Blueberries last longer than softer berries like raspberries or strawberries. I skip things like sliced cucumbers, sliced apples, and bananas because they don’t keep for the week after cutting.
- I like to use a muffin wrapper to keep the little things like chocolate chips contained.
- BONUS TIP: If you have little ones at home, pack them a lunch while making them for all the school kids. It’s fun for them and makes weekday lunches at home easier for you.
Make Ahead Lunch Box Ideas
If you make these five lunch boxes this week, you’ll need to prep a few veggies and make one recipe of pepperoni pizza muffins, a batch of zucchini muffins, and a few boiled eggs.
It’s all SO easy and without much effort—especially on your busy mornings getting out the door!
One chocolate zucchini muffin, boiled eggs, organic grapes, mini bell peppers, Horizon Organic cheese stick, a few organic chocolate chips for dessert, and Horizon Organic chocolate single-serve milk boxes.
Pasta with pesto, blueberries, mini bell peppers, Horizon Organic cheese stick, a few organic chocolate chips for dessert, and Horizon Organic chocolate single-serve milk boxes.
Easy Pepperoni Pizza muffins, marinara for dipping, broccoli, a clementine, a few organic chocolate chips for dessert, and Horizon Organic chocolate single-serve milk boxes.
Ham rolls, organic hummus for dipping, kiwi, cauliflower and broccoli, mini bell peppers, Horizon Organic cheese stick, and Horizon Organic chocolate single-serve milk boxes.
Chocolate zucchini muffin, plum, kiwi, organic yogurt, garden carrots, a few organic chocolate chips for dessert, and Horizon Organic chocolate single-serve milk boxes.
Lunch Box FAQs
Opt for seasonal fruits and vegetables that are easy to cut up. Eating seasonally will naturally give some variety. Protein options can also be varied—boiled eggs, ham, turkey, chicken, nuts, and seeds are all good options that can be swapped out frequently to keep lunches from getting boring.
Dedicate some time each week to plan your lunch box meals. Consider your family’s schedule, dietary preferences, and any ingredients you have on hand. Planning ahead can help streamline the meal prep process and offers a chance for the whole family to share their ideas and help!
Focus on a balanced variety of foods in each lunch, including lean proteins (such as grilled chicken or turkey), whole grains (like whole wheat bread or muffins), plenty of fruits and vegetables (fresh or cut-up), and healthy fats (such as avocado slices or nuts). This combination provides essential nutrients and sustained energy to keep kids focused and satisfied throughout the school day.
Other Lunch Box Inspiration
You’ll never run out of lunch box ideas with this list of inspiring ideas!
- Six Quick and Easy Hummus Lunch Boxes
- 6 Sandwich-on-a-Stick Packed Lunch Box Ideas
- 12 Healthy Lunch Box Ideas for Kids or Adults
- 8 Wholesome Lunch-Box Ideas for Adults or Kids
- 5 Secrets to Healthy Packed Lunch Success!
- All kinds of lunch box inspiration!
- Lunch Box Ideas
More Quick Lunch Recipes to Consider
Lunch Recipes
8 Wholesome Lunch-Box Ideas for Adults or Kids
Granola Recipes
Homemade Granola Bars
Lunch Recipes
6 Easy Pinwheel Recipes for Lunch Boxes
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I’m making lunches for four and really love your ideas! Will you please let me know what brand and size plastic containers you use? Thanks again for sharing!
These are easy lunch boxes and they are all the same time. I’ve had them 8 or so years and we still use and love them.
Where did you get the square container for the yogurt? Thanks!
I think they’re from EZlunchboxes, I use their boxes too.
it looks very interesting, but my son’s school can’t have peanuts or chocolate of any kind it has to be healthy foods
Could you give us the links for both types of muffins? I might actually get my kids to eat those!!! Thank you!
They are being published THIS WEEK! My timing is a little off, but I’ll update this post as soon as they are live and I’ll try to email you too. Your kids will love these!
Yay! Excited to see them! I love your blog and recipes. Thanks, again!!
Thank you friend, I really appreciate that!