My niece is starting kindergarten this week, so I’ve got school lunches on my mind. Her mom and I have been brain-storming healthy meal and snack ideas lately that will keep well during the school day, so I thought I’d share them here in case you’re in a similar situation. They are perfect for anyone who needs to pack a lunch for work, too!

One of the keys to packing a healthy lunch is starting with a set of sturdy lunch containers. Did you know the average kid’s school lunch creates 67 lbs of waste a year? I love using stainless steel options because they’re non-toxic, unbreakable, and also help reduce waste. Plus, when they’re stored in an insulated lunch box they’ll keep your food cold or hot, as needed, for several hours.

Be sure to check out the special deal I have for you at the bottom of this post to help make packing lunches even easier, while reducing waste at the same time!

The lunch set I’m using here includes:

• Wildkin Insulated Lunch Box
• Lunchbots Large Duo Bento Box
• Lunchbots 8 oz. Leakproof Round Containers
• U-Konserve Sweat-free Ice Pack
• Din Din Stainless Steel Spoon & Fork Set
• Lunchskins Reusable Sandwich & Snack Bags
• 12 oz. Funtainer Insualted Water Bottle

Once you have a set of containers that fit snugly in your lunchbox, filling them up is a piece of cake. I’ve created a list for you below to make things as easy as possible– you’ll just need to choose 4-5 options each day to create a filling meal!

• Avocado Sandwich
• Lentil Chili (cookbook)
• Quinoa Pasta Salad
• Lentil Tacos
• Cauliflower Pizza (I love this cold!)
• Raw Falafel Wraps (cookbook)
• Turkey Lettuce Wraps
• Bean Burrito in a brown rice tortilla
• Collard Wraps
• Chickpea & Avocado “Egg” Salad
• Italian “Meatloaf” Balls (cookbook)
• Mexican Soup
• Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Casserole
• Wild Salmon Sliders (cookbook)
• Copycat Panera Black Bean Soup
• Wild Rice Stuffing
• Mushroom & Spinach Quinoa Risotto
• Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (cookbook)
• Crustless Quiche
• Cauliflower Fried Rice (delicious cold!)

• Fresh fruit
• Cheese & cucumber slices
• Hardboiled eggs
• Zucchini Hummus with veggies
• Mary’s Gone Crackers
• Apples with almond butter
• Guacamole
• Date Energy Balls
• Fruit with sunflower butter
• Chia pudding
• Cherry tomatoes
• Creamy Tahini Dressing with veggies
• Kale chips
• Seaweed snacks
• Hemp Seed Ranch (in cookbook) with veggies
• Cherry Pie Larabars
• No-Bake Coconut Granola Bars (cookbook)

• Chocolate Avocado Pudding
• No-Bake Chocolate Macaroons (cookbook)
• Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies (cookbook)
• Healthiest Cookies Ever
• Raw Brownie Bites
• Paleo Banana Snack Cake
• Dates with almond butter

A special deal for YOU!

Did you know the average-sized family goes through 500 plastic baggies a year just for packing lunch? That’s why I think it’s especially important to invest in a few reusable items, not only to avoid the potential chemicals found in plastic storage containers but also to help reduce environmental waste.

My friends at Mighty Nest have come up with a brilliant (and affordable!) solution to help you start making small changes at home with their MightyFix subscription service. For just $10, they’ll send you one full-size product each month that will help you live more mindfully, whether it’s a more nourishing way to cook, a better way to do laundry, or an easier way to purify your air. The value of the product will ALWAYS be $10 or more, and you get free shipping on anything else you add to your order, too.

I’m signing up for it myself, because I love everything they offer– you really can’t go wrong!

The August Mighty Fix includes 2 Lunchskins like the ones pictured above: one snack size and one sandwich size bag. Normally, these two bags would cost $22.85, but with the Mighty Fix subscription you’ll get them for $10 plus free shipping.

**As an added bonus, my readers get a special discount on this bundle. Enter your email address in the box below (or use this link) to get 50% off your first month of the Mighty Fix— so you get these two bags for just $5 with no additional shipping cost. Remember, you get FREE shipping on anything else you order with your monthly shipment, so it’s a great time to order any other lunch gear you might need, too!

Whether you have kids or not, I hope you’ll enjoy these packed lunch ideas and the Mighty Fix. Having healthy food on hand is KEY to making good choices on a regular basis, so even just having a few of these options ready to go in the fridge will help you stay on track. I’ve been using these types of storage containers for years for my own snacks, long before I was a mom, so I hope you will, too!

*This 50% discount is only good for a limited time or while supplies last. Be sure to sign up by August 3oth!

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Reader feedback: What do you like to pack in your fridge or lunchbox? 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Mighty Nest. They sent me the complimentary lunch gear pictured above so that I could use it in my photographs, but I am under no obligation to post a positive review. As you all know, I will NEVER work with a company that I don’t trust or use myself.