We all start out the school year with lofty goals for our kids’ packed lunches (not to mention our own!) but it’s been a few weeks, and we’ve all hit a rut. But before you fall back on packaged snacks, give these whole foods packed lunch ideas a whirl. They’re fast, they’re easy, and best of all, you can pack the same thing for everyone in the family.

1. The Classic: Sandwich, Veggie and Dip, and Fruit

This lunch idea falls back on the old classic you grew up with, with a few modern twists. Start with a sandwich: swap out that white sandwich loaf mom used with a healthier organic bread. You can either make your own (this vegan spelt bread is to die for) or choose your favorite store-bought or bakery bread.

Sandwich the slices around a simple filling made of healthy, whole food ingredients. Here are just a few of our favorite combos:

• Organic roast turkey with mustard
• Hummus and alfalfa sprouts
• Organic beets and goat cheese
• Organic cashew butter and raw honey

Next, throw in a baggie of carrot sticks, a fresh organic apple, and a little container of hummus, nut butter, or tahini, and you’re ready to go.

2. Rice or Grain Salad

Rice or grain salads are a great way to use up leftovers from the night before. When you’re making dinner, make a habit of cooking up a pot of rice, quinoa, or spelt, and toss it with a bit of oil, butter, or vinaigrette to keep it from sticking. Then add some mix-ins, and lunch is ready.

Here are just a few of our favorite combos:

• Quartered cherry tomatoes and basil
• Cooked black beans, chopped scallions, and salsa
• Canned sustainable tuna and sliced olives
• Goat cheese and leftover roasted squash

3. Fajitas

While a lot of Mexican options like nachos, tacos, or burritos can get soggy by the time you get them to school or to work, fajitas work a charm because you keep the tortillas separate until you’re ready to eat. Try using bento boxes like GoodByn to separate the tortillas, guac, salsa, and fillings (roasted veggies or sliced grilled meats are great options).

4. Smorrebrod

For a super special sandwich, why not try a Scandinavian smorrebrod? The grainy rye bread is rich in fiber and super filling, and it makes a great base for a variety of ingredients (here are just a few of our favorite combos).

Some toppings may make the bread soggy, so consider packing the topping and the bread separately so that you can assemble when you’re ready to eat.

5. Lettuce Wraps

Leftover ginger chicken or barbecued tofu are the perfect fillings for lettuce wraps. Just choose a lettuce that will hold together well like butter lettuce or bibb – or even a heartier green like Swiss chard or kale. Add a small container of your favorite dipping sauce like teriyaki, sriracha, or coconut aminos to make this lunch even more special.

6. Spanish Tortilla

A well-made Spanish tortilla holds together even better than an omelet and is even better cold than hot. While a traditional tortilla features just potatoes and a bit of onion as a filling, you can also add other low-moisture ingredients like bell peppers, chiles, or peas to add color and nutrients.

Make the tortilla the night before, and once it’s cool, cut it into wedges. Wrap the wedges in a sustainable material like bee’s wrap, and let everyone grab their piece out of the fridge before heading to school or work.

7. Leftovers

With a little bit of planning, you can ensure that all the effort you’re putting into dinner serves you twice. Recipes like stir fries, Buddha bowls, or heartier soups can easily be doubled or tripled to make enough to pack up for the next day with no extra work or effort at all. Just be conscious of whether your kids have access to a microwave when picking your recipes: you want it to be something that’s just as delicious cold as it was hot.

Do you have any other tips and tricks for making a healthy packed lunch quickly? Share them with us via Facebook or Twitter.

Related on EcoSalon
3 Reusable, No-Waste Lunch Systems for Back to School
Foodie Underground: Coming Together for Lunch
Greening the Brown Bag: Lunch Solutions 

The post 7 Ways to Make a Whole Foods Packed Lunch in Under 20 Minutes appeared first on EcoSalon.

According to Waste-Free Lunches, “a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school.” The good news is, parents can lessen their child’s daily impact on the earth by packing their lunch in a reusable lunch system comprised of non-toxic components containing no disposable materials. Here are three reusable, waste-free lunch kits that will make your kid’s meals away from home healthy – for their bodies and the planet.

1. Citizenpip

Seen at the top of this post, the “Soup to Nuts” reusable lunch kit from Citizenpip truly lives up to its name. Included in the kit are a reusable insulated lunch bag, available in a variety of kid-friendly designs, a stainless steel water bottle (which may double as an ice pack), a stainless steel insulated food jar, four BPA-free airtight food containers, a stainless steel fork and spoon set and five (one for each day of the school week) 100 percent cotton napkins. I really like this lunch kit for older children in elementary school, because it can hold a good amount of food, and it keeps food fresh, and saves it from getting squished! The insulated food jar also means you can pack healthy soups during the winter months.

Citizenpip also offers each piece in their collection a la carte. You can buy every component separately to create a personalized lunch system for your child.

Citizenpip Soup to Nuts Kit $69.00

2. Laptop Lunches

Laptop Lunches bento-box sets are my top pick for preschoolers and younger children. They are dainty in size and therefore easy for little hands to tote to and fro, but they pack quite a lot of perfectly sized portions when it comes to food organization. The system is free of phthalates, BPA and lead, and they are made in the USA.

Each lunch set has containers and two stainless steel utensils. The design of the lunch tray keeps foods separated, while delightfully presenting each course, making the meal appeal to the senses of small children who may be picky eaters. The Laptop Lunch site also features a photo gallery and menu library to offer suggestions of what to pack for lunches. Just looking at the meals makes me hungry!

Laptop Lunch Set $24.00

3. Kids Konserve

High schoolers may be more comfortable bringing a sack-style lunch to the cafeteria table, as opposed to a lunch box. Kids Konserve‘s signature waste-free lunch kit will have their peers green with envy. Also BPA-, lead-, and phthalate-free, this lunch kit includes a recycled cotton sack, a stainless steel beverage bottle, a cloth napkin, two stainless steel food containers and a food cozy.

Kids Konserve also offers a variety of food storage and packing options so kids can pick and choose the best components to meet their mealtime needs.

Kids Konserve Waste-free Lunch Kits are on sale for $30.00.

The post 3 Reusable, No-Waste Lunch Systems for Back-to-School appeared first on EcoSalon.