5 Quick And Easy Back To School Lunch Ideas + 2 Sides

Hi everybody!

As promised, today I will be doing back to school lunch ideas!!
I know that so many of you reading my blog are in school and you probably went back to school about more than a week ago, if I'm not mistake. Therefore, this blog post is dedicated to you guys, and I hope these recipes can lend a hand in helping you pack for school lunches. If the last blog post on salad lunches was a little challenging then I hope this is better suited for you. This is quite nostalgic for me in so many ways as I was one of those people who packs their lunches to school, everyday when in school. I continued to do so throughout majority of my secondary school life and I absolutely hated it. I did not like making my own lunches, I thought of it as such a chore back then and I honestly despised it. On the occasion that my mother or older siblings decides to surprise me and treat me to a homemade ham and cheese toastie made with love, was some of the best lunches for me at the time. However, times have changed and there are much more interesting, flavourful yet simple lunch ideas out there for back to school. With the use of the internet especially Pinterest, I would have had a much better and interesting lunch experience back then but I guess you guys are much luckier than I am. If you are not going back to school then I hope you enjoy this blog post as well, to be completely honest, these lunches can be eaten as and where you like as they are so simple but so delicious. Lets get on to it !!....

Bacon Lettuce Tomato (BLT) Spring Roll with dipping sauce
I actually really love Vietnamese spring rolls with the rice paper rolls. I think they are so flavourful and refreshing and they just feel like really healthy. super foods and they are still really delicious. This is a little twist on it that I find to be amazing, and my favourite part is the dipping sauce and the bacon, of course. The only thing borderline challenging about this recipe will probably be frying the bacon, but of course you can switch that for ready ham and such. For me, it is wrapping the rolls well enough so that the do not fall apart.

Ingredients:-

• 1 handful fresh lettuce, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and sliced
• 2 pieces of bacon, fried
• small clump of basil and mint
• rice paper
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise 
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Method:-

1. In a large bowl, fill it with water and make it warm by adding hot water. Gently dip the rice paper for a few seconds until damp. Place rice part on a plate.
2. On 1/3 section of the rice paper wrapper closest to you, start layering the lettuce, tomatoes and bacon. 
3. Start rolling the wrapper over the fillings away from you, tucking and rolling the wrapper with your fingers, making sure all the fillings remain right and round within the rice paper wrapper.
4. Combine soy sauce, mayonnaise, lime juice and sesame oil together to make the dipping sauce and pack separately from the rice paper wraps.

Turkey, Hummus and Veggie Wrap

My favourite part of this is definitely the hummus. I am not a fan of hummus as a dip with sticks of vegetables but I actually really love it in the is wrap. However, I do exclude the cucumbers when making this as I absolutely dislike cucumbers.

Ingerdients:-

• 2 six inch whole wheat tortillas
• 2 tbsp hummus
• 3 oz deli turkey meat
• 2 small tomatoes, sliced
• 1/4 cucumber, cut in long strips
• 1 bell pepper, cut in long strips
• lime juice
• salt and pepper

Method:-

1. Lay out the tortillas and spread a tbsp of hummus on each. Divide the turkey in 2 and arrange on top of the hummus on each tortilla.
2. Divide the veggies evenly among the 2 wraps and season with salt and pepper and lime juice.
3. Roll each tortilla, cut in half and pack with additional veggies on the side.

Pasta and Broccoli Salad

My favourite pasta to use for this recipe is penne and I just love the fact that it is hollow in the middle (one of many weird things about me) but you can obviously choose to go for any pasta that you prefer. I suggest that if you  choose to go for long pasta like spaghetti then you might want to snip it a little so that they are shorter and easier to eat when you are at school, if that is what you prefer. I also get my broccoli frozen because its much more convenient and they don't go off as quickly as fresh ones.

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup of pasta
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups of broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• lemon wedge

Method:-

1. Cook pasta in boiling salted water for about 7 minutes. Add broccoli and cook for another 5 minutes until pasta and broccoli are both tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. In a small bowl, combine pasta, broccoli and parmesan with 1/8 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Add olive oil and toss. 
3. Pack a separate lemon wedge to squeeze ever just before eating.

Banana and Peanut Butter Quesadillas 

For all your sweet tooth out there, I am sure this one you will love. The classic peanut butter and banana sandwich is now transformed into quesadillas. YUMMMM

Ingredients:-

• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 4 five inch tortillas
• 1 large ripe banana
• salt
• 2 tsp grapeseed/canola oil

Method:-

1. Cut the banana into half crosswise and then slice lengthwise into thirds.
2. Heat a small skillet over medium high heat
3. Meanwhile, spread peanut butter onto tortillas. Arrange banana slices over half of the tortillas and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and top with the remaining tortillas, peanut butter side down. Press gently and brush both sides lightly with oil
4. When the skillet is hot, add one of the quesadillas and cook for two minutes on each side, flipping once until browned in spots on both sides. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat with the send quesadilla.
5. Cut each quesadillas into halves or quarters.

Easy Bean Salad
I did a bean salad recipe in my last lunch idea blog post but this is a stripped back, more simple version of it. I really want to include a bean salad for those who don't want to have meat for lunch then this is a great protein substitute, it is also stores well and versatile. You can store this in the fridge for other days and you can have this salad as a main with some lettuce or toasted bread; or you can have this as a side if you want to have a sandwich as well.

Ingredients:-

• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can cannelini ini beans, drained
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 can chick peas, drained
• 6 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey

Method:-

1. Place the beans and chickpeas into a large serving dish.
2. Mix together the dressing and pour over the beans.
3. Pack with toasted bread or lettuce separately.

Now it is time for some side dishes...... If you love a good lunchbox then sides are a must. Here are two side dishes that are easy to do and really delicious.

Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:-

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1/4 cup sliced green olives
• 3 sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp italian dressing
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method:-

1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined. Pack.

Oven Roasted Potato Wedges

Ingredients:-

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium russet potatoes, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges each
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method:-

1. Preheat oven to 230 degrees C.
2. Put the butter on a shallow baking sheet and put pan in the oven until butter melts. Add olive oil to the butter then put the potatoes in the pan and toss. Sprinkle with salt and toss again.
3. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown, tender and crisp.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post and it has given you some ideas for your back to school lunch. These lunches are also fairly healthy and does not involve a whole lot of processed foods. For other sides, some cut up fruit is amazing as well. Also, another healthy side option is some mixed nuts. A lovely homemade trail mix that I love doing is a mix of some cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts and craisins- equal part of each. Don't forget to check out my previous blog post for on the go salad lunch ideas and do check out my other social media sites as well. To share your back to school lunch boxes or meals using the hashtag #jessthedream on instagram. 

Have a great day ! Xx

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Email: jessicashleyyy@gmail.com

To check out my On The Go Salad Lunch Ideas, click here