Packed Lunch

Healthy Homemade Lunchables

Homemade Lunchables pin
Ditch the action boxes and make healthy homemade Lunchables alternatively. They cost less than $ 1 and contain nothing but 100 % real food !
As a child, one of my darling lunches to take to school was the Lunchable. The fact that my lunch could be stacked on a firecracker and it WASN ’ T a sandwich made me the cool child for like, 20 minutes .
We moved much in my elementary years and sandwiches were the average, so my “ cool kyd ” moments were few and far between. unfortunately for my sociable status, about the fourth dimension my family settled in Texas was about the meter I outgrew Lunchables. still, I cherished those moments when they did come, because truly, who doesn ’ t like cheese and crackers ?

I remember Lunchables being very simple back then : Crackers, meat, and cheese. There were no drinks, no desserts, and decidedly no smoothies .
now Kraft has five different lines of Lunchables for a sum of 45 spirit combinations, all with one common implicit in theme : highly processed ingredients .

Have you ever read the ingredients on a Lunchable? 

If not, no problem. I ’ ll spare you the bloodstained details and summarize it for you :

  1. It’s really, really long.
  2. You can’t pronounce most of the ingredients.
  3. There’s a 95% chance every item in the package has either high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils – the two biggest additives you should be concerned about in terms of real food.
  4. You won’t find most of them in your kitchen (or the grocery store, for that matter).

immediately that doesn ’ triiodothyronine intend you shouldn ’ thyroxine be concerned about other additives excessively, because there are PLENTY to choose from on the rear of those little yellow boxes. Carrageenan, sodium nitrite, soy lecithin, MSG ( in more than one form ), annatto, and three different types of artificial boodle should be adequate to get your genius juices flowing, and your lineage pumping excessively if you hate additives american samoa much as I do .
sol in addition to offering healthy, homemade options for delicate pretzels and hot pockets, I ’ thousand offering a real food translation of Lunchables excessively. As of today, you should be in full armed to get your kids through a wax week of school without having to rely on convenience foods for either lunch or after school snacks .
The fact that you can do it all without spending a fortune of time, or a fortune of money, is a dainty small bonus besides .

Healthy Homemade Lunchables

Coming up with a healthy homemade Lunchable is not rocket science. I mean, if Kraft can put crackers, kernel, and cheese together in a box and call it lunch, why can ’ t we ? The keystone is to just choose better ingredients .
homemade Lunchables are incredibly easy to put together and in fact, we ’ ve been eating them for several years now. Recognize “ snacky lunch ” on the monthly meal plans ?
here ’ s the simple formula we use :

(1) starch + (2) protein + (2) fruit/vegetable + (1) drink

As to what you want the starch to be or what type of protein is packed, the sky is the limit ! The easiest ( and cheapest ) room is to just pack whatever you happen to have in the electric refrigerator, and that ’ sulfur besides a great way to use up leftovers. But of course, don ’ metric ton let what ’ mho in the electric refrigerator, or not in the electric refrigerator, obstruct you !
If you ’ ra stuck on what to pack, these ideas can help. ( They ’ re based loosely on what Lunchable presently offers, so if you need to, feel free to use that little choice morsel to help you to convince your kids “ it ’ s the same only better. ” )

  • Crackers/pretzels + ham + Swiss + mustard
  • Crackers/pretzels + turkey + cheddar + mustard
  • Pita + pepperoni + mozzarella + pizza sauce
  • Crackers/pretzels + pepperoni + mozzarella + pizza sauce
  • Mini-bun + chicken nugget + ketchup
  • Chips/pretzels/crackers + chicken nugget + BBQ sauce
  • Mini-bun + hot dog + mustard/ketchup
  • chips/pretzels/crackers + hot dog + mustard/ketchup
  • tortilla + hot dog + mustard/ketchup
  • tortilla + sliced chicken nugget + shredded cheddar + salsa

Ditch the processed boxes and make healthy homemade lunchables instead. They cost less than $1 and contain nothing but 100% real food! :: Don'tWastetheCrumbs.com I besides polled fellow veridical epicure moms on their try and truthful, kid-approved very food recipes, in case you ’ re needing more “ what in the worldly concern should I pack ” inhalation :

Starch (choose 1)

Protein (choose 2)

Fruits & Veggies (choose 2)

  • Apple
  • Banana
  • Orange slices
  • Smoothies
  • Grapes
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Carrot sticks
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Kale chips
  • Sweet potato chips
  • Homemade potato chips

Ditch the processed boxes and make healthy homemade lunchables instead. They cost less than $1 and contain nothing but 100% real food! :: Don'tWastetheCrumbs.com

Dip/Condiments (optional, choose 1-2)

Sides/Dessert (optional)

Drink (choose 1)

* If organic, non-GMO, or nitrate-free items are not in the grocery store budget, simply buy the best you can afford .
Ditch the processed boxes and make healthy homemade lunchables instead. They cost less than $1 and contain nothing but 100% real food! :: Don'tWastetheCrumbs.com

Storage

The easiest way to pack homemade Lunchables is in a divide container like this one. It ’ randomness BPA free and leak proof !
These silicone muffin cups are a simple way to separate items that don ’ t need lids, like crackers, slices of cheese, or cuts of kernel. They ’ rhenium flexible and can easily fit into closely any container you already own besides. They double as – you guessed it – muffin cups, but I ’ ve besides used them as molds for lotion bars and homemade fudge .
The reclaimable bag you see in the photos are Lunchskins. I love using those for jammed lunches alternatively of baggies ! right now you can get a set for $ 3 with MightyFix. A monthly subscription that makes the baby steps to sustainable support so simple. Read more about it HERE .
Remember though, that you don ’ t need particular equipment or storage in order to pack a healthy, economical lunch. The most low-cost route is always to use whatever you have on hand .
equitable make a mental note to add these to the Christmas and birthday wish lists this class .
update : As my kids have grown and they need a little snatch more food for school, I ’ ve found that the Planet Box LAUNCH corner is our favorite. You can read all about my lunch box experiences HERE .

Cost Breakdown

The cost of homemade Lunchables will vary well, depending on how much you make from boodle and any compromises you make. I securely believe though that homemade Lunchables could easily be made for less than $ 1. here ’ s a breakdown of a simpleton real food Lunchable that I know my kids would easily devour :

  • 1/4 batch of homemade whole-grain crackers (8¢)
  • 2 ounces of sliced cheese (40¢)
  • 2 ounces (approx 2 slices) of leftover roasted chicken (18¢)
  • 1 Tbsp homemade BBQ sauce for dipping (5¢)
  • small piece of seasonal fruit + water (20¢)

Total Cost of Healthy Homemade Lunchable = $0.91
compare that to the $ 3+ that a single box of turkey and american cheese ( which isn ’ thyroxine even real number cheese, by the way ) costs at the storehouse !

More Recipe Tips

The key to keeping substantial food Lunchables low-cost is by packing food you already accounted for in the grocery budget, like leftover chicken or fruit or items made homemade from scratch. Offer more of the economical items ( like banana for fair 20¢ ) and less of the higher-end items .
besides, find creative ways to serve not-so-pretty-yet-very-frugal items like beans. Kid-friendly hummus ( like this pizza variety ) with lots of dippers is a bang-up put to start, and the extra affordability of beans means you can splurge a act on blueberries or other fun seasonal fruit .
Of run, wear ’ thymine forget to pack a drink excessively ! Water or kombucha from home is absolve, but you can add freeze strawberries or flavored ice cubes for a fun treat .
For more school lunch ideas, check out “ The Healthy Lunchbox ” – it ’ s one of the best eBooks I ’ ve read on goodly lunches, including back to school !
homemade Lunchables are a fun way to pack lunch or dinner, and we ’ rhenium actually packing a grown-up interpretation for dinner tonight : prosciutto with brie, sourdough & grapes .
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What would you put in your own homemade Lunchable?

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beginning : https://nutritionline.net
Category : Healthy