Guess what? My big kids start back to school ONE WEEK from today! Guess who’s excited?? THIS GIRL! You guys know how I am…I’m a happier mom when we’re on the school schedule and Jonah and I have our “alone” time. We’ve had a fun summer, but I. Am. READY.
So, when Kroger came to me asking if I’d like to be in on a back-to-school lunch-making challenge, I was all for it. My engine was already revved up! Now, I am not very creative with school lunches, but that’s pretty much because my kids are p-i-c-k-y, especially Sophie. So instead of designing my delicious, nutritious, affordable school lunch ideas around a cutesy theme, I designed them around FLAVOR. Flavors that I KNOW my kids will eat. And so, I present to you:
Of course I made all of these ideas with ingredients I bought at my local Kroger, at a price that’s nice! I’m still enjoying their fuel points I earn for purchasing and loading their easy-peasy digital coupons (you can click right there to load some – you’re welcome!) to my Kroger Plus card to help me save too. Another thing I love about Kroger? My kids’ school receives 4% back on my purchases as part of the Kroger Community Rewards program. A BIG bonus!!
So anyway. You know I love Kroger. (Especially when there’s a mega-event, right?!?!) Here are the school lunch ideas I made for my kiddos based on their favorite flavors.
Berry Bonanza
My kids, they love the berries! Here’s what I used for this lunch.
Kroger Brand Yogurt & Berries rice cakes $1.39
Old El Paso flour tortillas $1.97
Kroger Brand creamy peanut butter $2.00
Polaner All-Fruit spreadable raspberry fruit $2.69
Driscoll’s blueberries $2
Driscoll’s strawberries $2.50
And here’s how it turned out:
I sliced the strawberries, left the blueberries whole, threw in some rice cakes, and made a peanut butter and raspberry wrap. Yum! A very fruity twist on the regular PB&J, with lots of sweet fruit and a crunchy flavored rice cake treat.
Next up? The kids’ very favorite flavor of all:
Peanut Butter Blitz
For this lunch I used:
Kroger Brand Round Top wheat bread $1.00
Kroger Brand bagged apples $3.99
Kroger Brand peanut butter $2.00
Kroger Simple Truth brand lemon-yogurt covered almonds (sooo GOOD) $3.79
Kroger Brand celery hearts $1.49
Here’s how I created a Peanut Butter-themed lunch!
For this lunch I made a classic peanut butter sandwich (PB only is Sophie’s favorite!), added in some crunchy celery smothered in peanut butter, sliced apples, and a container of peanut butter for dipping. A sweet bonus? Simple Truth lemon yogurt-covered almonds – a different kind of nut flavor, but one that both my kids devour! I love the products from the Simple Truth line!
And now, for my last creative lunch idea:
The Cheeser Pleaser
I personally adore cheese and I am very suspicious of anyone who doesn’t! Here’s what I used to put this lunch together.
Cheez-it crackers $2.88 (only $1.88 after the mega-event, HOLLA!)
Hillshire Farm honey ham lunch meat $3.99
Kraft American cheese singles $2.99 ($1.99 after the mega-event!)
Old El Pasto flour tortillas $1.97
Kraft string cheese $3.49
Kroger Brand baby carrots $1.49
Here’s how I put together these cheesy treats:
This is pretty much as simple as it can be! I made a wrap sandwich out of the tortillas, ham, and cheese singles. The string cheese stands alone as do the Cheez-its (one of Sophie’s main food groups, by the way), and I added the carrots because they were orange and healthy. This is a very cheese, crunchy, satisfying lunch!
So, what do you think of my school lunch creations? I think they’re simple and tasty – just the way my kids like them! I hope you really like them and will re-pin them by clicking here (this goes directly to the pin) – because I’m in a contest with other bloggers to win a $250 Kroger gift card, and the blogger with the most re-pins wins! You have to re-pin the original pin I linked to. Pinning it yourself won’t count, so please re-pin and help a sister out! The contest ends August 16th so please re-pin me now! 🙂 Thank you!
To further entice you to visit Kroger for you school lunch needs, I’ve got a $25 Kroger gift card giveaway! Here’s how to enter:
1) Leave a comment on this post telling me what YOUR favorite school lunch was as a child
2) Re-pin my pin (click here to re-pin – don’t create a new pin!) and then come back to this post and leave a separate comment letting me know you did so.
It’s that easy! The giveaway will end August 16th as 5 pm – happy entering and re-pinning!
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I LOVED when my mom let me buy my lunch at school on spaghetti and meatball day! They had the BEST thick texas toast with it! I loved it! 🙂 My favorite sandwich was also PB &J!
I pinned your pin! 🙂
My favorite school lunch was ham and cheese sandwich with doritos
My favorite is ham and cheese wrap.
I always had a peanut butter sandwich, tortilla chips, and apple juice for lunch.
I repinned your pin!
My favorite was always pizza day … and was especially happy when it was Mexican pizza 🙂
Macaroni and cheese day! The lunches look delicious.
My favorite lunch was peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips, and a banana.
My favorite lunch was peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips, and a banana
I repinned your pin.
turkey and swiss roll ups!
katherinedibello (at) gmail (dot) com
http://pinterest.com/pin/115756652895529806/
katherinedibello (at) gmail (dot) com
Great lunches! I love Cheeser Pleaser! 🙂 Thank you for linking up the Back to School with KBN!
I loved peanut butter and banana sandwiches!
repinned
http://pinterest.com/pin/216735800790510551/
I love to find a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some oreos
I liked peanut butter sandwiches.
PB&J was always a hit. The chocolate pudding cup was like lunch box gold, too. 🙂
I think I “re-pinned” it but I’m not 100% sure. (I’m not very Pinterest savvy.) Good luck!!
School lunches were good when I was a kid – loved chili and cinnamon roll day!
Repinned from your link.
My favorite lunch was when my mom would buy me a Subway sub the night before and I could eat half and pack the other for lunch
my pin http://pinterest.com/pin/430867889320630381/
I repinned
http://pinterest.com/pin/138204282288093192/
I can’t really remember … probably peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and an apple
I liked soup in my thermos. 🙂 And chocolate milk!
Loved the school’s mashed potatos and hamburger gravy! My favorite sandwich from home was fried egg and Miracle Whip.
Pinned your Pin. Rae Jean Higgins
My favorite lunch was beef stew day at school! They had the best homemade rolls and cottage cheese to go along with it. Yummy!
I repinned your pin!
A chicken leg, some fresh fruit and maybe a cookie 🙂
re-pinned as LAMusing
http://pinterest.com/pin/389279961511665986/
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich – I just wanted to eat it quickly to get out on the playground!
How cute! I love all of your lunch ideas. I never would have thought to put them together in a theme! Peanut Butter Blitz is my favorite!
I loved chili and cinnamon roll day at school! Yummy!
soup.
I re-pin your pin.
my favorite school lunches were peanut butter sandwiches!
I repinned: http://pinterest.com/pin/390898442627807009/
I can’t remember anymore, it’s been so long. I do remember that even though I loved my mom’s chocolate chip cookies, I could trade one or two for almost anything on anyone else’s tray. Which came in handy at least once when she’d send me to school with cookies and lunch money and I lost my lunch money.
Nowdays, my favorite is anything that worked well for dinner that also microwaves well, and when I actually have time to eat it at work instead of wolfing it down!
I liked ham and cheese sandwiches.
http://pinterest.com/pin/38280665556147184/
My favorite lunch was school pizza.
http://pinterest.com/pin/203365739396969747/