Back to School Homeschool Lunch Ideas

Here are some of my favorite lunches for this insane time of year. These lunches are so quick and easy even your kids can make them.

Refried Beans and Chips

Chips and dip can be perfect for a quick lunch while juggling school, housework, and extracurricular activities. You can cook dried pinto beans in the crockpot in the morning and they’ll be ready to smash up for lunch. Or you can open up a can of refried beans, top it with shredded cheese, lettuce, and a dollop of sour cream.

Vegetable Stir Fry

My kids love stir fry and this is especially good if you have leftover cooked rice. Lightly cook whatever veggies you have in the fridge, throw in some garlic or add a little garlic salt. Add your favorite stir-fry sauce and then mix in your rice. Quick, healthy, and so good!

Pigs in a Blanket

My 9 year old loves making these herself. Definitely not the most healthy lunch choice, but when you’ve got a million things to do it’s a relief to be able to pass over lunch prep to your kids. This fast little crowd pleaser only requires canned croissants and hot dogs!

Mac and Cheese

I make my own mac and cheese and don’t mess with the kind from the box. By making a roux out of butter, flour, and milk, and then quickly adding shredded cheese, I feel better about serving my kids this popular dish. If you add a little chopped up frozen broccoli to the macaroni while it’s cooking you can call it a complete meal!

Red Lentil Dal

This quick Indian dish is so versatile and is probably one of the healthiest lunches you can feed your kids. I always keep lentils on hand when I’m in a pinch. You can eat this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s good savory or sweet. I prefer to add cooked onions and tomatoes along with some gram marsala, a little cayenne, and turmeric. Cook the lentils until soft (about 20 min.) and then add the vegetables and flavorings. Add a scoop of Jasmine rice and store-bought naan on the side and you have a speedy and delicious lunch!

Frittata

This is another one of my go-to dishes. This is also good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can add a variety of ingredients to this. I usually fry up some potatoes and sometimes throw in some corn. After adding the eggs you can sprinkle chopped up bacon and shredded cheese. Another 5 min in the oven and you have a healthy lunch to feed to your family.

Mini Pizzas

Pizza is my kids all time favorite food. I make homemade pizza every Friday night. By making up extra dough, I can freeze it and then pull it out in the morning to be thawed by lunchtime. The kids roll out their individual pizzas, add tomato sauce, toppings, and cheese. Ten minutes later lunch is ready!

You can also turn these pizzas into Pizza Sandwiches!