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Put together these easy lunch ideas for kids using these numbered bins and create a self-service station in your fridge ~ make back to school lunches a breeze!
EASY Lunch Ideas for Kids
School's back in session (or will be soon!) and that means our schedules get a wee bit crazier, mornings rush by in a blur, and packing last-minute lunches can be a real chore (especially if you have multiple kids!). But take a deep breath, because this genius Grab-N-Go Lunch Station might save your sanity this year! 🙂
Grab-n-Go School Lunchbox Station
PPP Team Member Kristen pulled this self-serve lunch station together for her crew last week and I love it so much I'll be making them on FB Live later this week too. 💗
The idea is simple:
Fill clear refrigerator bins with easy pre-made lunch options for the week ahead. Kids will pick *1* item from each bin to have for lunch and snack through the day. It gives them the freedom to make some choices, while making sure they're not taking 4 brownies for lunch. 😉 More healthy lunches for the win!
How to make your own fridge self-service Lunchbox station:
- Make sandwiches or wraps ahead of time on Sunday night and place them in Bin #1 (Main Entree options)
- Fill Bin #2 with healthy snacks – like Nuts, Cheese Sticks, Yogurts, etc…
- Load up Bin #3Â with baggies of fruit & veggies (Grapes, carrots, etc) or Applesauces
- Bin #4 can hold treats like Cookies, Teddy Grahams, Goldfish, Brownies, etc…
Okay – Here's what my friend Kristen put in her bins to give you some ideas…
Kristen here! I absolutely loved getting these easy lunch ideas put together for the kids. The bins are perfect for snacks and lunch prep. I used a few hours to get my week together and prep for the busy days of school and packing lunch. It was so worth the extra time and it will save me from giving them money to eat out or just packing unhealthy options.
I started with these clear bins (be sure to measure your fridge so they fit for you ~ Amazon has a bunch of other options here, too.) I grabbed the pack of 6 so that I could have an extra one for after school snacks too.
I added these cute chalkboard stickers  to make it fun – and I can use them to label other stuff in my pantry too.
   
Lunch Bin #1:
I used bin #1 for sandwiches or the main part of the lunch. I made 3 options, peanut butter and jelly, turkey rollups and turkey bagel sandwiches that come in our lunch menu plan too. The bagel ones have been my girls favorites so far.
The bagels are more filling than bread (so they stay with them longer) and the circular shape works great for lunch meat and provolone cheese!
=> For more lunch ideas – get our FREE Printable with 26 Lunch Ideas for Kids!
Other ideas:
- Pita bread sandwiches
- Uncrustables (homemade)
- Ham and cheese
- Chicken Salad sandwiches
- Pasta Salad in little containers (this Greek Chicken Pasta Salad is so good!)
- Black bean & Quinoa Salad
Lunch Bin #2
Bin #2 was a yogurt, cheese sticks or applesauce – just healthy snacks they'll like. Ones that are high in protein help the kids feel satisfied longer!
- Cheese and crackers
- Hard boiled egg
- Bags of chips
- Bags of pretzels
- Fruit snacks
- Granola bars
- Guacamole packets with pita chips
Lunch Bin #3
Bin #3 was a fruit or veggie, I used clementines, carrots and hummus packs and purple grapes for variety.
Other Kids Favorite Fruits & Veggies:
- Apple slices
- Strips of Bell Peppers
- Bananas
- Baby Carrots
- Mixed Berries
- Celery Sticks
- Fruit cups
- Cubed melon
- Pineapple chunks
- Cherries and more!
If your kids need a little help eating veggies you could try making ants on a log – by filling a rib of celery with cream cheese or peanut butter and sticking raisins along the top 🙂
Lunch Bin #4
Bin #4 was the fun one for the kids, the goldfish or teddy graham crackers.  If you don't do a reusable water bottle like we do – this could instead be the bin for juice boxes.
If you have time to make these hearty Trailmix Cookies – your kids will love you! They're SCRUMPTIOUS, healthy and they are also filling.
After School Snack Bin (#5)
Then in my last bin I put after school snacks so they'll have some mom-approved options to grab as they head out to play, do homework or run off to sports.
Our snack bin has the trail mix and flavored rice cakes. I let my kids know that they can quickly grab one things from each basket for their lunch boxes and a water bottle and they are good to go. It makes our school mornings so much more peaceful. Plus I feel good about what they are grabbing and it helps them to be a part of getting it all done in the mornings. Many hands make light work, right!
Snag your bins and chalkboard labels – then pickup any lunchtime/snack supplies you need – and you're ready to feel like a ROCKSTAR mom this week!
Check out more Refrigerator Storage bins we found on Amazon for a good deal too.
Do crackers and crunchy items get soft by the end of the week?
As long as they don’t get wet, they shouldn’t get soft or squishy!
Do you have recommendations for reusable baggies for the snacks instead of disposable ziplocks?
You could maybe use these or something similar Valerie! 🙂 -> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088KS36X5/?tag=publix-20
How did you keep the sandwiches from getting soggy?
Hi Anita! I don’t add condiments to the ham or turkey sandwiches (thankfully my kids like them plain!) and for peanut butter and jelly, I put a small amount of peanut butter on both sides to keep the bread from getting soggy from the jelly. Hope that helps!
Kristen, did the sandwiches/wraps get soggy by Friday? Did you put lettuce and tomato on them?