We’re featuring easy lunch ideas for busy moms in partnership with Social Moms and Foster Farms. Read on for great lunch ideas to prep ahead and grab on the go!

Of all the things I struggle with as a work at home mom, actually finding the time to eat lunch is at the top of the list. I don’t know what it is about making sure I am covered come lunch time but if I don’t pack a lunch like I would if I were working outside of the home, I just don’t eat lunch. It may be the fact that my littlest always decides to take her nap on me when I realize I haven’t eaten in a while…

So I’ve started to pack my lunch in my Bentgo lunch box and am getting a little creative in what I put together. No sandwiches day after day. Though there’s nothing wrong with a good sandwich! I’ve stepped outside the box and have come up with 4 delicious lunch ideas that are easily prepared the night before for a delicious lunch. I’ve even been sharing them on Instagram each day and hope to continue sharing!

In addition to mixing up my lunches with leftovers, I also use my new favorite lunch meat. Foster Farms All Natural Lunchmeat is unique in that it uses high pressure pasteurization to eliminate bacteria and seal in PURE flavor INSTEAD of using natural preservatives like vinegar as an antimicrobial, which often results in a sour aftertaste. And it’s nitrate free with no hormones or steriods OR preservatives. Perfect for the whole family!

Easy Lunch Ideas for Busy Moms

Turkey and Havarti Wraps

Includes:

Foster Farms Honey Roasted & Smoked Turkey Breast
Havarti cheese
dill pickle slices
baby carrots
1/2 of a fuji apple
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Chicken Ceaser Salad

Includes:

Foster Farms Simply Seasoned Mediterranean Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cooked and diced
cherry tomatoes
1/2 an avocado
1-2 cups romaine leaves
parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons ceaser dressing

Turkey Wraps

Includes:

For the wrap

1 small tortilla
1 tablespoon tomato basil hummus
Foster Farms Honey Roasted & Smoked Turkey Breast
spinach leaves

Sides

handful of spinach
sliced cucumbers
1 tablespoon tomato basil hummus (for dipping cucumbers and to be used as dressing for spinach)
handful of blueberries

Chicken and Broccoli

Includes:

Foster Farms Simply Seasoned Mediterranean Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cooked and sliced
1/2 cup broccoli, steamed
1 bunch grapes
probiotic drink

Now that I’ve started preparing my lunches the night before, I haven’t forgotten to eat once in the past week. And I’m not as grumpy. Imagine that! While most of these meals are simple, they’re also a way tp guarantee that at least one meal a day is full of healthy choices.

Interested in trying Foster Farms Honey Roasted & Smoked Turkey Breast? Save up to a $1 now by downloading the coupon found here.

What is your go-to lunch on a busy day?

Disclosure: This blog post is part of a paid SocialMoms and Foster Farms blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.

Packing lunches can start to feel monotonous really quickly if you don’t have a lot of variety. This year I’ve been challenged to really thinking outside of the lunch box when it comes to packing healthy foods for my kids.

And since it’s the first official year I’ll be packing my son’s lunch for Kindergarten (and not just a day out like last year) I’m kind of excited to find new ideas to keep things fresh and exciting for him. Since we also have to send along a snack, I’ve included some snacks in here as well.

And, of course, I’ll be sending along some cute lunch box notes for my son to read as well when he’s munching on his goodies.

If your brain is really stuck on what to pack this year then check out some of these tips:

Healthy Back to School Lunch Tips

Keeping Things Bright

To mix things up this year, I really wanted to do something colorful and healthy. That’s where I got the idea of parfaits for their school lunches. Have the kids help make their school lunch parfaits the night before if that gets them excited.

You can use easy to open containers to help keep things from getting too messy at lunch time. I like to use whatever organic fruit I have on hand, which can get really colorful.

Healthy Back to School Lunch Tips - parfaits

From Left to Right Clockwise: Broccoli, Grapes, multi-grain crackers, Honest Kids Tropical Tango Punch, vanilla yogurt parfait with granola and strawberries, almonds, Applegate ham, Organic Valley sharp cheddar

DIY Lunchables

I’ve always loved the idea of how easy store bought lunchables are, but sadly they’re not very healthy. I’ve recruited my whole family into loving the idea behind DIY lunchables.

All you really need to complete this fun and healthy lunch idea is to have a container with trays or at least separate containers to give the lunch that ‘lunchable’ feel.We LOVE our Laptop Lunches bento box to make things easy at lunchtime. I pack organic juice, crackers, lunch meat, fruit, and then a “bakery” treat. My kids really love the variety that a DIY lunchable brings to the table.

Healthy Back to School Lunch Tips - pizza lunchable

From Left to Right Clockwise: Honest Kids Tropical Tango Punch, Cucumbers, Annie’s Bunny Grahams, Applegate Farms Turkey Pepperoni, Marinara Sauce, organic string cheese, french bread slices, peach

Mix It Up

If you are really having a hard time finding things to pack for your child, consider trail mix. My kids really love the idea behind trail mix because it’s yummy and I love it because it’s easy. And only includes 3 simple ingredients: granola, almonds, and raisins!

Even if your children can’t have nuts, there are a variety of items you can mix together to create the ultimate trail mix for your little one. Think of other dried fruits, maybe some mini chocolate chips if they are looking for a small treat? The possibilities are endless.

Healthy Back to School Lunch Tips - trail mix

From Left to Right Clockwise: fruit salad, carrots, Honest Kids Tropical Tango Punch, trail mix, bagel with cream cheese

Dip it Good

One thing we’re discovering this year is yummy and healthy dips to pack in lunches. Let’s face it, packing veggies and fruits can seem bland, we are mixing it up with various dips. Hummus is one dip your children might love trying.

You can also create yummy fruit dips out of organic greek yogurt and chia seeds. With this base, you can add a variety of items to your fruit dip, like chocolate chips and peanut butter. This really brings variety and fun to any school lunch (plus it keeps it healthy).

Healthy Back to School Lunch Tips - dips

From Left to Right Clockwise: cantalope, ants on a log (with almond butter), Honest Kids Tropical Tango Punch, french baguette, pasta with marinara sauce

Multiple Fruits & Veggies

I’ve noticed that when I pack my kids a variety of fruits and veggies it gets gobbled up. My kids love opening up their lunch to find a garden full of fruits and veggies. Of course, I like to arrange it so it’s more fun to eat. I might make the container represent a forest with broccoli as trees and little grapes as the bottom part of the forest.

If I want to make things bright, like a rainbow, I’ll pack cut up a green and red apple, peel an orange, and add red and green grapes. Eating with color is always more fun, especially when it’s arranged to look cool.