FIVE Healthy Lunch Box Ideas

September 21, 2017 (last updated June 6, 2020) // 0 Comments »

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Ditch your boring sandwich and try these FIVE Fun and Healthy Lunch Box Ideas! They’re all gluten free, dairy free, and allergy friendly!!

When I was growing up my mom always packed my lunches for school. I loved the mix of things she packed on rotation and I loved her little napkin notes. It wasn’t until my kids started preschool that I realized how difficult packing lunch boxes can be.

When we were living in Philadelphia, my son’s first preschool asked us not to pack any peanut butter. I was knocked on my butt. What? No nuts? My mind went blank.

I immediately texted my mom friend and asked her for ideas. I couldn’t get past peanut butter & jelly. Luckily she easily rattled off a few she was packing and it got the creative juices flowing. I’ve come a long way of looking beyond the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and today I’m pumped to share FIVE sandwich-free lunch box ideas that are fun for kids and adults alike.

I’m partnering with one of my favorite brands – Enjoy Life Foods! From their minis to their chunks, I’m always adding their chocolate chips to my cart because of the quality. I also love that they never contain dairy, nuts, or soy, so you know it’s just the good stuff. If you want to try them for yourself, head over to their website use the promo code FREEFROM20 for 20% off your order!!

They also have really fun packable snacks, so along with the recipes, I’m sharing a couple of their packable lunch box snacks that my kids rejoice over. I’m not joking. My son saw an Enjoy Life package in his lunchbox and he ran over to me to give me a kiss. He was overcome with gratitude. I feel ya, little man. I feel ya.

So let’s do it! Here are Five Back to School Lunch Box Ideas that are allergy friendly – free from nuts, gluten, and soy!

ONE: Ok, shoot. Maybe this little bagel is sandwich-y, so I might be striking out with you guys on my first box. But in my book it doesn’t count, so hopefully you stick around 🙂 Grab your favorite gluten free bagel and spread on some non-dairy cream cheese and jelly. My son LOVES these sandwiches!! I’m packing it with some fresh berries and these double chocolate banana bliss balls. Grab the recipe for the bliss balls below!!

Chocolate Banana Bliss Balls

Author: Lindsay// The Toasted Pine Nut
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
Yield: 16 1x

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Ingredients

1 ½ cup gluten free rolled oats
½ cup hemp hearts
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
1 banana, mashed
1 tablespoon agave nectar (honey or maple syrup works)
1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter
½ cup Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chunks

Instructions

Place the oats, hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, and cocoa powder in your food processor.
Process for 10 seconds until combined and coarsely chopped.
Add the banana, agave nectar, and sunflower seed butter.
Process again until well combined, about 10 – 20 seconds.
Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and then process for another 5 seconds.
Fold in the chocolate chunks.
Roll into balls and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.

TWO: Banana Sushi – this is the lunchbox my boy kissed me for. It’s so simple and really fun! Basically, you roll a banana in a wrap with some sunflower seed butter (or any seed/nut butter) and then cut it into little bites. Easy peasy. Add some fruit and these really fun mini chocolate chip cookies from Enjoy Life and you are set. Kisses galore.

THREE: Easy Quinoa Salad – this is one of those meals you can make extra and pack the leftovers for lunch the next day. Toss some cooked quinoa with some cut up tomatoes, diced avocado, corn, basil, extra virgin olive oil, and a splash of white wine vinegar. Grab the full recipe below, it’s so light and flavorful! Pack it with some cut up fruit! Make it more kid friendly by using fun mini shape cutters. I’m also packing these apple oatmeal chocolate chip bliss balls that everyone loves! Full recipe below!!

Quinoa Salad

Author: Lindsay// The Toasted Pine Nut

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Ingredients

⅓ cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 medium tomato, diced
½ avocado, diced
⅓ cup cooked corn
3 leaves basil, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Instructions

Bring the broth and quinoa to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes until the broth is absorbed.
Transfer to bowl and toss with the tomatoes, avocado, corn, basil, oil, and vinegar.
Eat warm or store in the fridge to eat chilled.

Apple Oatmeal Bliss Balls

Author: Lindsay// The Toasted Pine Nut
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
Yield: 16 1x

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Ingredients

1 apple, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut in chunks
1 tablespoon agave nectar (honey or maple syrup works)
1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter
2 cups gluten free rolled oats
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup Enjoy Life Foods mini chocolate Chips

Instructions

Place the apple chunks, agave nectar, and sunflower seed butter in your food processor.
Process until completely combined and resembles apple sauce consistency.
Add the oats and cinnamon and process again until it balls up.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and chop up the balls.
Process again for another 10 seconds.
Roll into balls and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat!

FOUR: Lentil rotini – let’s face it. My kids love pasta and pasta has come a loooong way since my kidhood. Lately I’ve been loving chickpea pasta and lentil pasta for the kids! The ingredients are so on point and they’re too busy swooning over the color that they don’t even mention the different taste. I make extras so the leftovers can be packed in their lunch the next day. I’m also packing some leftover sautéd broccoli and some soft and chewy Enjoy Life snickerdoodle cookies. Those cookies are too good, you guys!!

FIVE: Pesto Zoodles – One of the best sub for regular noodles is zoodles! I love how they’re so fun and twirlable! I tossed mine with some sunflower seed kale pesto and packed a side of sliced apples and Enjoy Life’s Beach Bash Seed + Fruit Mix. Grab the pesto recipe below!!