Need School Lunch Inspiration? Get these Back to School Lunch Ideas + Printable Lunchbox Notes!

By Angela Sellari

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MilkMadeEasy #CollectiveBias

Tis the season for back to school and lunch packing! In fact, this morning was our first day of school and it went really well. Sometimes though, school day mornings can be a little hectic. Make the morning rush a little easier with these back to school lunch ideas and printable lunchbox notes. If you’re child is anything like mine, after about the third or fourth PB&J it’s time to get a little more creative. These school lunch ideas are easy, nutritious, and come together quickly.

I know that packing the same school lunch day after day can get boring, not only for your kids but you too. To kick off this back to school season I thought I’d share a couple of simple school lunch ideas with you, along with some fun printable lunchbox notes.

My daughter started middle school this year, and she still loves finding lunchbox notes tucked into her lunch. In fact, she practically told me which one to pack with her lunch this morning. She cracks me up sometimes.

Luckily, there are a couple of lunchbox items that I can’t go wrong with. Chocolate milk and fresh fruit are guaranteed favorites. Hershey’s® 2% Chocolate Shelf Stable Milk (12 pack) is perfect for school lunches and after school snacks. In addition to being shelf stable and lasting up to 13 months, this chocolate milk doesn’t have to be kept in the refrigerator. This is a big deal if you have a crowded fridge like me. Just refrigerate when you are ready to use! Plus, the clean ingredient label is something you can feel good about.

Can we talk about the screw cap for a minute? It is awesome! The screw cap is so easy to open and you don’t have to worry about spills. I’m not a big fan of drink boxes or pouches that have to be stabbed with a straw. That’s so dangerous! My daughter has such a hard time getting the straw into them. Heck, I have a hard time doing it. There are no such worries with the screw cap.

Where to find Hershey’s® 2% Chocolate Shelf Stable Milk:

I buy my Hershey’s® 2% Chocolate Shelf Stable Milk at Publix and it is conveniently located on the cereal and milk isle. The big brown 12-pack box is super easy to spot.

Back to School Lunch Ideas

I call this a deconstructed sandwich. I love giving simple things fancy names. Seriously though, this first back to lunch idea is so easy.

My daughter isn’t a huge sandwich eater to begin with, so I’m always trying to mix things up for her. She usually ends up pulling all of the meat and cheese out of the bread, so I figure why not forgo the bread all together and give her some deli meats and cheese with a side of crackers that she enjoys?

Next up on the back to school lunch menu is pizza pasta.

Basically, this is buttered Noodles with grated Parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes and pepperoni. My daughter absolutely loves this lunch! Any night that I make spaghetti for dinner, I set aside a little pasta in butter for her lunch the next day. I pop this into her lunchbox with a small ice pack and it keeps till lunchtime.

Grab these free printable lunchbox notes for a happy lunchbox!

Download and print these fun printable lunchbox notes and tuck them into your child’s lunch. They are such a nice surprise and help give kids the encouragement they need during the school day.

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