This school year, pack your kid’s lunches with yummy garden meals and snacks.
Parents everywhere are rejoicing and that could only mean one thing–school is starting back up again!
You’ll pack your kids from head to toe in new clothes, stuff their backpacks with notebooks and pencils, and pack their lunches with...yucky junk food? Nope!
This school year we want to help you come up with a few fun and healthy brown-bag lunch ideas both you and your children will be happy with. And the best part is–it’s in your backyard!
Cucumber tuna cups
This yummy (and inexpensive) snack will have your child’s friends envy of your cooking creativity.
Ingredients:
1 large English cucumber cut into 1 inch thick slices
1 5 oz can Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore in Water tuna, drained
⅓ cup of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh dill for garnish
- Scoop the seeds out of the cucumber slices leaving about ¼” on the bottom to make little cups.
- Squeeze the water from the cucumber pulp you have scooped out, and finely chop it.
- Combine tuna, finely chopped cucumber pulp, mayo, and pepper. Taste and add more mayo or pepper if needed.
- Dab away any excess water in the cups and stuff with the tuna. Dress it up with dill.
Garlic parmesan zucchini chips
Serve these chips up with a side of ranch for a crispy and flavorful snack the peanuts are sure to enjoy. When they ask for more of these chips, you’ll have no hesitation.
Ingredients:
3 to 4 zucchini, sliced into ¼” to ½” rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl combine zucchini slices, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- In a separate bowl, combine panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, oregano, and garlic powder.
- Dip slices of zucchini in cheese mixture and coat on both sides. Then place slices in a single layer on the baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking oil for a good crunchy texture.
- Bake for 10 minutes; rotate pan and continue to bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until chips are golden brown.
Tomato and basil hummus
This tasty hummus recipe is a great way to use the tomatoes and basil you’ve harvested from your garden this summer. Plus, it’s a great source of protein and fiber!
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups chickpeas
1 clove of garlic
⅓ cup of sesame paste
10-12 basil leaves
¼ of a teaspoon salt
10-12 cherry or mini Roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh cracked pepper
- Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. If the mixture looks too runny, add more chickpeas or paste.
- Drizzle with olive oil, and crack black pepper.
- Serve with sliced bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers or crackers.
Broccoli cheddar bites
These bite-sized snacks are a lunch box’s best friend. Freeze any extras and microwave them when you’re ready to eat them!
Ingredients:
1 large bunch of broccoli florets
2 eggs
½ cup packed, torn fresh bread (no crumbs)
¼ cup grated onion
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 cup, packed, grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Steam and chop the broccoli. You should have 2 to 2 ½ cups.
- Mix the beaten eggs and torn bread in a large bowl until the bread is completely moistened
- Add and mix the grated onion, mayo, cheese, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Add the broccoli and mix the combination together.
- Distribute the mixture in mini muffin pan wells and bake for 25 mins until cooked through and lightly brown on top.
Cucumber sandwiches
These mini cucumber sandwiches put a gluten-free spin on the classic lunch meat sandwich. Your little ones will notice the difference, but won’t mind a bit!
Ingredients:
Cucumbers
Small tomatoes
Avocado
Sliced chicken or turkey
Sliced cheese
Toothpicks
- Slice the tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocado.
- Stack the meat, cheese, tomato, and avocado (add other vegetables if you’d like!) on top of a cucumber slice and cover with another cucumber slice.
- Stick a toothpick through the middle of the stack to hold all of the deliciousness together.
So what do you think? Will your little ones get on board with these fun nutritional school lunch snacks and meals? We have a feeling they might especially if they helped grow the garden (one of our tips to teach your kids to go green)!
If you were too busy in the garden this summer and weren’t able to pay attention to your lawn, we’ve got you covered. Did you know we offer yard services? Schedule one with us today!
