Summertime Lunch Solutions

Hooray! No more school lunches to make in 2 days! Everyone else is excited right? And I only had *one* school lunch to make since my daughter was only part days and only took a snack. Next year I will have both in school full time and my last minute, school lunch making exercise will be even more stressful.

While we are all high-fiving each other on Facebook about not having to make school lunches for the summer, I think we are forgetting one thing – these little monkeys still expect to eat while they are home! Lunches aren’t going away, just the pain of having to pack an ice pack, and enough food will be.  I think I may need to have a ‘no open pantry’ policy otherwise my kids may just munch away all day.

So what about lunches while we are all home?  Here are a few ideas to get you through:

1- Stock up on fruits and veggies.  These make automatic side dishes at lunch. Keep bowls and containers of chopped and washed fruit and vegetables at the ready to just lay across the table and let the kids graze.  Need dip ideas? Here’s how I make sure I’m prepared for that too.

2- Buffet all the way.  Lunch doesn’t have to be a production.  Simple is often better, especially if you have kids who just like a little of this, and a little of that.  Again, like the fruits and veggies, putting out a bowl of hummus and pita, hard boiled eggs and bite sized food options are served for lunch around here a lot because I know they will eat plenty of it and it’s relatively healthy.  The other reason I love buffet? Because I can just bring a tray of food outside. The kids often don’t want to come in to eat, or stop playing, so they can just pick and eat lunch while they play some days!

3- Sandwiches are a life saver.  Egg salad, tuna, chicken salad, and yes, if you can have it in your house, simple peanut butter sandwiches make for an easy lunch (and great for on the go!)  Try this egg with honey-mustard on croissant or avocado with candied bacon! 

4- Pizza! Make your own pizza is popular, and I am loving these easy pepperoni pizza rolls as a quick lunch option – this is also perfect for when company comes over or you end up having an extended play date.  Or, throw this flat bread pizza on your BBQ and mix it up with your favourite toppings!

5- We love eating out, but we can’t very well do that each day can we? Skip the restaurant next time you want to avoid cooking and head to your local Farmers’ Market instead. They often have ready-to-eat, inexpensive meals that you can snack on for lunch!

Any tips for simple lunch ideas during the summer? Share them in the comments!