HEALTH

With the start of school on our minds, we thought we’d share a week full of delicious and nutritious lunches with you. Making your own lunch can seem tedious and annoying, but by putting in a little time and effort you can create some easy and amazing dishes. A healthy lunch will fuel your brain and give you the energy you need to power through your classes. So ditch the gross cafeteria options and tasteless microwave meals and instead, try out these yummy recipes.

Pumped Up Peanut Butter Sandwich for Monday (above!)

Say buh-bye to boring PB&J and instead add some banana slices and a thin spread of Nutella to basic peanut butter for a totally delish lunch. Opt for whole wheat toast to balance out your meal. This dessert-inspired sammie will definitely help you beat the Monday blues.

Mediterranean Salad for Tuesday

A refreshing salad is colorful and flavorful—the best of both worlds! Ditch bland lettuce and instead make this Mediterranean dish filled with flavorful ingredients like feta cheese, olives, tomatoes and bell peppers. Cucumbers add crunch while chickpeas pack protein. A super salad like this will make all your friends jelly.

Super Snack Box for Wednesday

Get through the mid-week slump with a protein-packed lunch. Fill up your snack box with hard boiled eggs, fruit, cheese slices, crackers and some almond or peanut butter. You can add in carrot and celery sticks, hummus or pretzels, too! This lunch is full of yummy energizing munchies that you’ll love.

Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas for Thursday

If you’re craving Chipotle but don’t have the energy to assemble a burrito bowl, try out these foolproof chicken and spinach quesadillas. They’re nutritious, big on taste and easy to tote to school. If you like extra flavor, bring a little container of salsa to spice up your cheesy lunch.

Fresh Veggie Sushi on Friday

Finish off your full week of school with some simple sushi rolls that you can easily whip up the night before during a study break. This satisfying lunch is perf because it’ll fill you up but won’t weigh you down. It’s a good pick for those Fridays when you have plans to go out for pizza or hit the movies after school!

What do you like to pack for lunch? Let us know in the comments!

Photo credits: Oh, Sweet Basil, Simply Whisked, The Skinny Fork, Real Simple, The Refreshanista

by Morgan Ome | 8/28/2016