We have to face it. The first day of school is coming. For some of us, that may be a good thing and for others it may be something that we aren’t looking forward to so much. I am somewhere in between. Going back to school sets us into a predictable routine but it also brings a TON of extra activities that we don’t have to fit in during the fun, summer months. One of those things is packing lunches. I dread packing lunches each night so I went searching and found a few back to school lunchbox ideas to help me once we hit that first day of school.

The lunches for our kids are always a mix of snacks and a main “meal” that might range from a sandwich to pasta. These 9 ideas help cover all those bases.

Puppy Dog Sandwich from Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons

Italian Brown Bag Popcorn from Snappy Gourmet

Lunch Kabobs from Skinnytaste

School Snack Mix from Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons

Stacked Apple Snack from Nibbles by Nic {obviously avoid sending this to school if you are a nut-free school}

Paleo Lunch Bento from Nom Nom Paleo

Egg Pesto Melt from Weelicious

Oh, and every lunch deserves a little sweet treat…

Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Oat Bars

Pencil Rolo Treat from Live Laugh Rowe

Now maybe back to school won’t be quite as stressful…