Easy Cold Lunch Ideas for Your Homeschool

As you probably already know, homeschoolers are busy people. Those of you who homeschool with multiple children or as a single parent are even busier. So anything you can do to get a break from little chores such as food preparation will give you an opportunity to either catch your breath or get something ready for your homeschool day.

Fortunately, breakfasts and lunches are meals that your kids can easily throw together themselves. Occasionally it will take is a little bit of time on the weekends to prepare certain foods, but it is well worth it.

Here are some cold lunch ideas for your kids (and you) to enjoy this homeschool year.

Easy Cold Lunch Ideas

Tortilla Rolls

My kids love to throw some meat and cheese on a tortilla and roll it up. My youngest even likes to spread some mayo on first. Unlike the well-known tortilla rollups which are sliced, these little goodies are left whole. But feel free to make the traditional rollups if you like.

Cheese and Crackers

Cheese and crackers are not only good for snacks but for lunches too. You might like to include cold cuts also. Fresh fruit and veggies make a nice side to go with these mini sandwiches.

Deli Delight

Finger food like cold cuts, sliced cheese, fresh veggies and fruits are perfect for an easy lunch. Your child can simply pick what he likes and slap it on a plate. Bread and crackers are possibilities too.

Hoagies

Your kiddos might like to build themselves huge hoagies for their lunches. These mean sandwiches will fill the tummy of even the hungriest teen…if they’re built right. The only prep you may have is to slice some cheese and veggies ahead of time.

Salads

Salads can be a lifesaver for your homeschool as well as church functions. It will take a little weekend work to prepare a few salads, but the result of your labors will be some nice lunches for the week.

You might try getting your little munchkins involved in making the salads. They can make one from a recipe or they can design their own. Yes, I said design their own. It sounds crazy, I know, but it is possible. Here’s how.

To build a salad, your child can choose from the following:

Pasta. Elbows, rotini, penne, shells. You name it. They all work. Quinoa or corn will also do the job.
Protein. You can use hard boiled eggs, tuna, pepperoni, beans, salmon, or cold cuts that have been cut up. If a protein doesn’t suit your child or the salad, a slice of cold cuts or a hard boiled egg on the side will do.
Vegetables. Your child can pick his favorites.
Fruit. (Optional) There are some fruits like tomatoes or grapes that will work in some salads.
Dressing. How about oil and vinegar, mayonnaise (seasoned or not), or a favorite salad dressing like Ranch.

After your child has made his selections, he can just mix it all up in a bowl and store it in the fridge. Then he can send the recipe to Betty Crocker, right? 😉

Pita Pockets

When your kids don’t want bread, you might try offering them pitas. Hummus, cold cuts, or leftover chicken will fit nicely in these pockets. Vegetables like spinach, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and sprouts make great added fillings.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Boiled eggs make a nice easy lunch for kids. You might want to peel them ahead of time unless your kids are adept at this task. You can use fresh veggies and fruit as sides to complete the meal.

Onigiri

If you want to try something from another culture, you might like the Japanese version of a sandwich which is called onigiri. This is a Japanese rice ball that is usually filled with a meat or vegetable. Some fillings you might want to try for it are salmon, peas, dried seaweed, chicken, tuna and azuki beans. Google “onigiri” to learn more about how to make these delectable delights.

Sandwiches

Last but not least are sandwiches, the regular kind that is. Possibilities for this category include cold cuts, eggs, tuna salad, chicken salad, hummus, cheese, BLT, leftover meats, and PB&J. Everybody has their favorite.