School Lunch Ideas: A Five-Day Plan for a Balanced Lunch

By Anna Lawson
     
     Over five billion school lunches are served every year, but these meals tend to lack essential nutritious aspects. An unbalanced nutrition can lead to decreased performance in school and health problems, including diabetes. Because of this common problem at most U.S. schools, many students decide to bring lunch to school. However, a new problem arises from this; what to pack. If students receive their daily intake of protein, dairy, fruits or veggies, grains, and sweets, they will have the ability to focus. This five-day school lunch plan contains a variety of easy-to-make foods that contain the energy students need to succeed in school.

MONDAY:
Parmesan Chicken Bites: Finished in 25 minutes, these are easy to prep the night before, and taste delicious hot or cold!
Ingredients/Directions:

• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups breadcrumbs (Panko)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400° F
2. Bake breadcrumbs on a baking sheet for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown
3. Transfer breadcrumbs to a rimmed plate, add parmesan, and combine
4. On another rimmed plate place flour, and in a wide bowl beat the eggs together
5. Turn temperature up to 475° F
6. Place a wire rack on a large baking sheet and brush the rack with oil
7. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper
8. Coat the chicken in the flour, then in the egg mixture, and lastly roll in the parmesan-breadcrumb mixture
9. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the wire rack
10. Bake in preheated oven 12-15 minutes or until chicken is golden brown, and cooked all the way through, flipping halfway through
11. Store in an airtight container in the fridge; pack with your favorite dipping sauce

Celery and Carrots with Hummus: Bring a small container of your favorite hummus along with some fresh celery and/or carrots.
No-Bake Reese’s Bars: The perfect balance of sweet milk chocolate and creamy peanut butter is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth, and provide a serving of protein.
Ingredients/Directions:

• 1 cup salted butter (melted)
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 11 oz bag milk chocolate chips

1. Combine everything (except chocolate chips) in a medium sized bowl
2. Pour mixture into a 9x13 pan
3. Melt chocolate in microwave and spread over peanut butter mixture with a spatula
4. Refrigerate at least one hour and cut into bars

TUESDAY:
Vegetable Spring Rolls: A refreshing and healthy item that has endless variations. Simple to make, these rolls can be ready to go in only a few minutes!
Ingredients/Directions:

• Spring roll wrapper (usually found in organic or freezer section)
• Veggies of your choosing (carrots, peppers, lettuce, cucumber, etc.)
• Optional: Protein (grilled chicken, shrimp, etc.)

1. Lay wrapper out flat and place chosen veggies/protein in the center
2. Fold up one corner, and then the two surrounding corners into the middle
3. Roll up and serve with your favorite dipping sauce

Apples and Peanut Butter: A crunchy treat that provides a serving of protein and fruit! Cut up an apple and bring a small container of your favorite peanut butter.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge: Creamy and delicious just like real cookie dough- but eggless and safe to eat! With only few ingredients, Glenelg Senior Campbell Shepard says, “I love how easy it is to make and how delicious it tastes.”
Ingredients/Directions:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, microwaved for 3 minutes
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cup melted white chocolate

1. Grease an 8" square pan with cooking spray and line with parchment
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour and salt and beat until combined. Stir in 1 cup of the mini chocolate chips
3. In a large bowl, mix together sweetened condensed milk and melted white chocolate, then fold into cookie dough mixture
4. Pour into prepared pan and top with remaining 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
5. Refrigerate until fudge is firm, about 2 hours
6. Remove from pan by lifting edges of parchment paper and cut into squares

WEDNESDAY:
Turkey and Cheese Crescent Rolls: These simple crescent rolls can be made in advance and warmed up in the school microwave for 45 seconds. They are also filled with protein to help keep a healthy and balanced diet.
Ingredients/Directions:

• Crescent roll
• Turkey
• Cheddar cheese

1. Cut crescent roll in half, long ways
2. Fill with turkey and cheese, as desired
3. Heat in school microwave for 45 seconds- 1 minute, or until cheese melts

Cucumber Hummus Cups: A delicious and refreshing snack that is easy to prepare ahead of time and has the perfect amount of crunch.
Ingredients/Directions:

• 1 Cucumber
• Hummus (any flavor)

1. Cut cucumber into ¼ inch slices
2. Use a small spoon to scoop out most of the seeds and make a well, but leave a thin layer of cucumber at the bottom so the hummus doesn’t go through
3. Spoon about 1 tsp of hummus into each cup
4. Keep on an ice pack to keep everything fresh

Granola Bars: These are a great source of fiber and calcium. There are hundreds of different brands and flavors, so pick your favorite! The most common flavor is chocolate chip since most enjoy a little bit of sweetness.

THURSDAY:
Pizza Bites: Tasty and a great source of protein and dairy. These polka-dot pizza bites are easy to make and can be reheated in the school microwave for 45 seconds to a minute.
Ingredients/Directions:

• 1 can refrigerated flaky biscuit dough
• 1 package pepperoni
• 1 package mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup pizza sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Pull individual biscuits in half, creating two rounds. Cut the rounds into quarters, so each biscuit creates 8 small wedges
2. Press wedges onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, forming each piece into mini rounds
3. Place about 2 tsp of cheese in the center of dough and fold dough up around it, forming a ball. Then press down and slightly flatten it
4. Top each mini round with a piece of pepperoni
5. Bake for 5-8 minutes, or just until the edges turn golden brown. Bring a small container of pizza sauce for dipping

Grapes: Just one cup of grapes will provide fiber, vitamins C and K, and resveratrol, an antioxidant which helps protect brain, heart, and immune health, so they are a great choice for lunches.  
M&M Oreo Cookie Bars: These colorful and delicious bars can be made in 30 minutes and only use seven ingredients!
Ingredients/Directions:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 18 Oreo Cookies, coarsely chopped
  
• 1/2 cup M&M’s

1. Set oven to 350 F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with foil; spray with cooking spray
2. Add the egg, brown sugar, and vanilla to melted butter and whisk until smooth
3. Add the flour and stir until just combined (don’t overmix!), then stir in Oreos
4. Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula
5. Evenly sprinkle the M&Ms over the top, lightly pressing them down with a spatula
6. Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes, or until top is set and edges are slightly firm
7. Allow to cool, then slice into bars; store in an airtight container

FRIDAY:
Buffalo Chicken Tortilla Roll Ups: With just 5 ingredients, these roll ups can be quickly prepared the night before. These taste best cold, so pack an ice pack!
Ingredients/Directions:

• 1 cup shredded, cooked chicken
  
• 4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/4 cup Buffalo wings sauce
  
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
  
• 2 (6 inch) large flour tortillas

1. In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream and cheddar cheese
2. Toss in chicken with buffalo wings sauce
3. Lay a tortilla out on a plate and spread an even layer of the chicken and cheese mixture all the way to the edges (about 2 to 3 tbsp)
4. Roll up tortilla tightly and place on a plate; repeat until all the ingredients have been used
5. Put into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours
6. Slice tortillas into bite-sized pieces; keep on an ice pack

Strawberries and Blueberries: Half a cup of strawberries and half a cup of blueberries will provide carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. Slice up strawberries and put in a container with blueberries.
Pancake Bites: There are endless combinations of ingredients to mix into these pancake bites! They can be made with store bought pancake mix to make prep even easier. Glenelg Junior, Erin Chizmadia, says, “Pancake bites are so good! I love how you can mix-and-match the ingredients. My favorite is chocolate chips with sprinkles.”
Ingredients/Directions:

• Store bought pancake mix (such as Bisquick Shake ‘n Pour)
  
• Toppings (choice of chocolate chips, sprinkles, blueberries, etc.)

1. Preheat oven to 375° F
2. Follow directions to make classic pancake batter
3. Spray mini cupcake pan with cookie spray
4. Fill each well ¾ of the way and sprinkle toppings on top
5. Cook for 10-15 minutes ​