25 Effortless Lunches for your Homeschooling Afternoons
If you are a novice or an expert at homeschooling, you all likely know how much of a pain it can be to come up with a family-friendly lunch to prepare during your homeschooling afternoons.
Homeschooling multiple children can get hectic, and the last thing you want to think about is – “What’s for lunch today?”
My kids can be picky, and rarely will I make another meal to please the picky eaters; I try to cook what most everyone likes or tolerates, and if they don’t like it, they can find something else.
Simple as that. There are too many kids in the home to try to please everyone.
Lunch looks different in all homes, so if what you’re doing is working for you, then stick to that, but I know I’ve spent time searching for lunch ideas for my family.
So, if you also need some new recipes to add to your list, I’ve put together 25 family lunches that are quick, yummy, and kid-friendly. You can have your kids make some of these or prep the night before:
1. Peanut Butter and Jelly + applesauce. This lunch is simple and always a go-to. Tip: Have your kids make sandwiches days ahead, bag them up, and toss them in the fridge. That way, they can grab their lunch for themselves.
2. Boiled eggs, deli meat, fruit, and raw veggies. This lunch can be like a mini charcuterie board for your kiddos. Tip: Make a large charcuterie board that everyone can grab.
3. Egg sandwiches. Tip: Boil the eggs the night before, chop, store and place in the fridge. Just add the extra ingredients that morning or before lunch.
4. Leftovers. If your kids are like mine, some of them refuse to eat leftovers, and that’s when I tell them they can fix something else they like.
5. Chicken burritos. Tip: Plan to make a rotisserie chicken for dinner the night before. Make sure you have some tortillas, cheese, and other items your kids like on hand.
6. Grilled cheese sandwiches. Nothing like a warm grilled cheese sandwich. I like to add butter to my bread with some mayo before cooking. (Some tomato soup doesn’t sound bad, either!)
7. Pizza bagels. These are so easy. Add pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni slices (if your kids prefer).
8. Pinwheels. Deli meat, mayo, and sliced cheese roll-up and sliced.
9. Mini subs. Tip: Let the kids assemble their own. They can make veggie or loaded.
10. Hot dogs. A super-fast lunch, if I must say so myself.
11. Avocado toast and a smoothie. Strawberry + Banana + sweetened almond milk, Kale + celery + strawberries + orange juice. So yummy!
12. Chef Salad. My boys have to have meat, so I usually will toss some deli ham, bacon, or chicken breast on top.
13. Nachos. (Beef or chicken) Again, you can use some leftover rotisserie chicken, shred it, and use that as a topping for your nachos. I like the queso or stadium dip for the cheese topping.
14.Soft pretzels. My daughters love having these for lunch. We buy the frozen kind, and they add sugar and cinnamon and pop them in the toaster oven. Tip: Add a smoothie for a delicious treat!
15. Quesadillas. (Beef or chicken) Add your meat and cheese. Heat the pan or toaster oven.
16. Ramen. If you don’t like your kids eating the packet seasonings, you can make your own by adding broth, kale, boiled egg, etc.
17. Chili cheese fries. Cook your fries, then add cheese, ground beef, and chili.
18. Chicken salad. Canned chicken or leftover rotisserie. Add seasonings, mayo, chopped boiled egg, sweet relish, salt + pepper to taste. Tip: Put it on a sandwich or eat it with cheese and crackers.
19. Chicken nuggets/tenders. Because I just had to say it. But my younger ones will still eat these occasionally.
20. BLT. Tip: Buy the cooked bacon to make it even simpler.
21. Chicken Soup. Leftover rotisserie or canned chicken, chicken broth, egg noodles, celery, and canned carrots. Boil your celery in the broth until tender, then toss the rest. (Egg noodles cook fast!). Great for a cold day.
22. Greek Parfait. A fun recipe for the kids to assemble. Have your fresh fruit ready, honey, and granola. (I like to add some cinnamon, too!)
23. Meatless spaghetti. Any pasta will do, but angel hair and rotini are a couple of kinds of pasta that cook faster. Cook the pasta, add your pasta sauce, then add parmesan cheese for some extra flavor.
24. Lettuce wraps. You can add any meat or seafood.
25. Salmon kabobs. Thankfully, salmon cooks relatively fast, but this can be fun for your kids. Here are some items you can add to the kabob: pineapple, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, + cheese cubes.
I hope these are useful for your family and – most importantly – make your afternoons easier.
What are some of your favorite lunch recipes for your family? Share below.
XOXO,
Sharonda
Related Article: 3 Quick, Kid-Friendly Recipes
Great list. Its amazing how blank your mind can go when its time to make lunch 😂
Still happens to me all the time, lol. And thank you! Glad you found it helpful!
What fantastic ideas! I will 100% be referencing these because the homeschool lunch rut is a real thing! 😂
It so is!! And, thank you!!
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Aw such a great post! I needed that! Thanks for sharing!
http://www.LinhyBanh.com
Thank you, Linhy! So glad you found it useful
This is a really great list. I cant wait to try these out.
Thank you so much! Please let me know how you like them.
Great ideas!
Thank you so much!
Goodness me. The never ending meal prep and planning. This is a great list. I’m always looking for different meal ideas. Thanks for sharing!
It does seem to be never-ending. Thank you so much. I’m glad it was helpful to you.
Great meal menu, I like Ramen!
Thank you! Ramen is the best!
This is great! I get in a rut and before you know it we’re eating mac-n-cheese for the 3rd day in a row. Thanks for all of the great ideas!