Back to School Healthy Lunch Ideas + Easy Baked Protein Nuggets

Back to school healthy lunch ideas is always a good idea year-round. Like protein nuggets made with chicken (easy recipe below)… and that you can sub with chick peas for falafel nuggets like these:

And if you’re making lunches for an active agenda where you need lots of protein, chicken (nuggets) could be your efficient energy source. And included below are the steps… plus more ideas for healthy lunch ideas! Because lunch is still one of the most important meals of the day (so it shouldn’t be an afterthought).

When I was in highschool, I ate with the same Lunch Bunch (we called ourselves) everyday.

Until the school year ended… and then we hoped for the same lunch schedule the next school year. That didn’t always work out and brought in some anxiety the first week. You had to make new friends.

But lunch was comfort. It’s something I never skipped because I liked food (still do!) and needed the energy to get through the afternoon. Even though I didn’t have a prepared lunch, I had my menu choices in the school cafeteria.

School-bought lunches were for the most part served edible for younger tastes even if it was a cardboard-like cheese and sauce pizza or mystery meat chicken nuggets. And forgettable wimpy fries (…did those come from real potatoes?). This still blows my mind what is allowed to be fed in public schools.

Taking a McDonald’s field trip for a Happy Meal would’ve been healthier (and a tastier treat!).

I know in high school, I often opted for a soft, warm pretzel with yellow mustard for lunch over a “real meal.” It was at least warm (where sometimes the cafeteria food were served still a bit frozen).

In my teenage mind, a pretzel was a step up in gourmet junk food. And adding mustard was my “vegetable” to tie me over until dinner.

Back then, cafeteria lunch was not to Jamie Oliver’s standards.

School lunches weren’t consistent.

And today they’re still not…

…Maybe that’s why I chose a career in hotel catering management and restaurant food planning after my schooling. 💭

And that’s when I experientially learned there were much better food options. Now I know better.

And you know better.

So preparing your own back to school healthy lunch options is the better plan.

For growing and active individuals, carbs such as pasta early in the day helps provide that needed energy.

That way for dinner you can tone down on the carbs, or serve lesser complex carbs like rice or light bread that’s easier to digest later in the day. They’re okay on a BRAT (bread, rice, apple, toast) or a low FODMAP diet.

And then not be hungry to enjoy a plant-based dinner. That may have been missed earlier in the day.

And when you make your own lunches, you know exactly what you’re getting. These are some ideas of what you could make:

Back to School Healthy Lunch Ideas and Sides (Snacks):

Chickpeas, rice (good with slivered almonds), and cumin

Chicken, curry, and cucumbers

Chickpea, red lentil, spinach, veggie or whole-grain pasta

Tofu or chickpeas, spinach, and quinoa

Baked potato with tomato salsa

Sprouted Bread Gourmet Sandwich:

Salmon, avocado, and cayenne pepper

Smoky tuna melt with  a slice of cheese, and turmeric

Prosciutto and brie

Tomato, mozzarella, basil with a drizzle of balsamic

Instead of accompanying lunch with fries or chips, how about a healthy side?…

Hummus.

Olives – green and black.

Pickles (or cornichons if you want to get fancy!)

Edamame.

Almonds.

Apples. Choose a variety.

Bell peppers.

Carrots.

Cheese and crackers.

Cherry Tomatoes.

Cucumbers.

Currants or raisins.

Beverage Ideas:

Lemon juice water (lemonade without sugar)

Sun or homemade iced tea

Sparkling water (check sugar content as they range)

A fun way to zhugh up a drink is to add some orange, lemon, or lime zest. You can make a batch, store in a cup with a lid in your refrigerator, and that way you have some available when you need to add a final touch.

And those beverages go well with chicken nuggets for back to school healthy lunch ideas.

 Easy Chicken Nuggets Recipe

If you’re at home, rinse off a few raw chicken breasts with cool water. Pat dry. Add a little EVOO, salt, and pepper ontop the chicken. Add Panko bread crumbs ontop if you want to make breaded chicken nuggets.

Then bake your chicken breasts on 350°F/180°C oven for no less than 50-55 minutes in a glass baking pan (I’d suggest). Make sure you cook the chicken all the way through (no pink inside) to a safe 165°F/75°C.

After cooled, cut up chicken into strips or cube chunks. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and then when it’s time for a meal, heat up (medium heat) a portion on a stove-top with a skillet. Sautee or brown the chicken to your liking. Great with a salad, rice, or pasta.

Delish and simple… and then you have several meals for you and those you feed!