Another post, another week of the yummiest lunch box ideas, in home or to take to the office! If I’m being totally honest, I go to sleep every night obsessing about what I’m going to eat the next day. Apart from my baby girl, food is my life. With that in mind, I wanted to make meals that any and everyone would love. Five days, 5 different meals that you’ll be looking forward to every day, and this will make your weekdays so much easier! If you want any substitutions in place of what I used, feel free to replace them with your favorite grocery goodies. Just make sure you balance the ingredients (carbs, good fats, protein, and veg) and always add a favorite snack, because we all know that’s the most important part. Using a weekly meal plan is the best way to save money, time, and cook healthier for you and your family!
Why Meal Plan?
Prep Ahead - Even 5 minutes of cutting veggies or prepping a main dish ahead of time will make all the difference.
Mix, Max, Swap - Every family member is a unique butterfly 🦋 We all like different things, and this post was made with picky eaters in mind. You can swap out recipes, change serving sizes, and change the ingredients or snacks.
Budget - Prepping and deciding ingredients at the start of the week helps you to plan how much you’ll need, and buy accordingly. We love to hit Sam’s Club and the Dollar Store for the most efficient grocery hauls $$
Let’s jump into it, beginning with tips and tricks to make prepping lunches a breeze (and even fun if you have your little ones jump in to help :) My toddler loves being included in packing lunches, and this lets her choose her favorite things).
Tip # 1: Good Containers 🫙
Bento boxes with compartments are one of the best investments you can make. It will help you remember to include all the balanced goodies your body needs to get through the day: carbs, protein, fruit and veggies and a snack. These containers are great, as well as this one!
Tip # 2: Pack Beforehand 🎒
Either the night before or at the beginning of the week. For any sandwiches or wraps: put cheese slices directly on the bread, and then any sauces on top of the cheese, to keep the bread from getting soggy. No mushy messes here 😖
Tip # 3: Leftovers!
Any dinner leftovers from the night before are a great lunchbox addition. Use a thermos to keep them warm. This is a must for me since my office doesn’t have a kitchen or appliances available 😤
Tip # 4: Healthy Grab n’ Go Snacks 🥨🍏
Freezer muffins, homemade granola bars/granola bites, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, string cheese, trail mix, fresh fruit, veggie sticks and hummus, and healthier crackers or popcorn are all perfect options. I love Lesser Evil Himalayan Gold popcorn, Chobani Complete Protein mini yogurts, Good Thins Garden Veggie crackers 🍿, and nearly every Olipop Prebiotic soda. You could also use protein bars, beef jerky, pretzels, rice cakes, peanut butter crackers, chips and guac, pickles, or even sweet potato fries.
Below is a week of healthy lunchboxes, including breakfast, lunch, recipes, and snacks. Grab your cutest lunch bag, and get packing!
Many more recipes can be found here, on my blog. Questions? Want a free printable shopping list? Send me a message anytime! Enjoy, my loves <3
Lunch Box # 1:
Lunch Box # 2:
Lunch Box # 3:
Lunch Box # 4:
Lunch Box # 5:
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RECIPES
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Overnight Oatmeal Base:
40g oats
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp flax seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
15g protein powder
50g vanilla coconut yogurt
1 pitted medjool date, chopped
1/2 tbsp honey/maple syrup/agave
1/2 c almond milk
Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding:
1 tbsp ground hazelnuts
1/2 tbsp maple syrup/agave/honey
2 tbsp dark unsweet cocoa powder
Pinch sea salt
15g protein powder
100g vanilla coconut yogurt
little splash almond milk
For creamy hazelnut layered oats, make the oatmeal base, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. For hazelnut pudding, mix ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Once ready to enjoy, pour base into a bowl, and top with the hazelnut pudding, extra chopped hazelnuts, fresh fruit and granola.
Brownie Batter:
3 tbsp chia seeds
1 ripe banana
1 scoop optional vegan protein powder
1/2 cup coconut yoghurt
1 tbsp nut butter
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
Put everything into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a container or bowl and let it sit in the fridge for at least one hour, or overnight for a ready to-go breakfast.
Top with hazelnuts or almonds, strawberries, chocolate cereal, or whatever your favorite toppings are and enjoy 🤎
Tunacado:
Tuna:
1 can tuna in water, drained
Red onion, diced
Fresh dill
1 tbsp Dijon
4 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt, pepper, to taste
Pickle relish or chopped pickles
Bagel:
Avocado, mashed
Tomato
Greens
Hot honey
1 tbsp pesto
Mix tuna ingredients together until smooth, store in the fridge until ready to assemble your bagel! 🥯
Green Coconut Curry:
Coconut Sauce:
1/2 c lite coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c veg stock
2 handfuls spinach
1 tbsp tahini or cashew butter or olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
Curry:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp green curry paste and/or miso paste
3-6 oz grilled chicken breast, cubed
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp paprika, cumin, garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, pepper
1 cup chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 zucchini, sliced thinly
1/2 - 1 cup corn
Fresh basil, cilantro 🌿
In a blender or food processor, add coconut sauce ingredients. Blend until she’s smooth and creamy. Set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, add oil. Once heated, pour in chickpeas. Sprinkle some of the spice mixture over the chickpeas and mix to combine. Saute ~ 3-5 minutes or until crispy. Remove from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot, add diced onion, garlic, and miso paste. Stir and saute ahout 3 minutes or until the onions start to soften. Add the rest of the spice mix with a small splash of water and sauté one minute.
Add sliced zucchinis, corn, and ¾ of the chickpeas. Stir everything together. Pour in the coconut sauce, stir, and reduce heat to simmer. Let cook for 15 minutes.
Toss in fresh basil and chopped cilantro and gently mix. Remove from the heat and pour into bowls. Top with remaining chickpeas, sliced cucumber, more herbs, and another pinch of pepper flakes. Serve with rice, naan, and fried green beans or broccoli, and enjoy :)
Mini Naan:
1/2 c plain ff Greek yogurt
1/2 - 3/4 c chickpea/oat/wheat flour (+extra for kneading)
1 tsp instant yeast *optional
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic herb seasoning
Salt, pepper, to taste
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and yeast. Mix in the yogurt, olive oil, and a splash of warm water. When the dough is about to come together, dust your hands with flour and knead gently into a soft, slightly sticky dough (sprinkle more flour, little by little, if the dough is too wet to work with). As soon as it comes together, stop kneading.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it sit in a warm place for 1 hour, or until about doubled in size.
Dust a surface with some of the flour and dump the dough on top. Sprinkle some of the flour on top of the dough and on your hands. Shape the dough into a long rectangle and cut in half. Use a rolling pin to roll out each portion of dough until flattened (but not too flat). I use a pizza slicer to cut these two flattened doughs into a bunch of mini naans (but you can make them any size you like!).
Heat a greased large cast iron or nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Pick up the first piece of dough and gently lay the it in the skillet (if making mini naan, I was able to cook 6 pieces at once) and cook until the top is bursting with air bubbles and the bottom is golden and blackened in spots, a few minutes. Flip the naan and cook about 1-2 minutes more until the the bottom is lightly browned and blistered in spots. Remove the naan from the skillet and place the naan in a towel-lined dish to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining naans, adjusting the heat down to medium as you go. Seal and refrigerate any leftovers. Enjoy!
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