With many kids going back to school, there are a lot of mom’s out there wondering what to pack for their kids to take for lunch.  I’ve been very surprised how easy it has been to throw together some school lunches for my first grader quick and easy.

With a little imagination, you can pack a good variety of healthy lunches for your children, and they only take minutes to make.

Bento box meals are becoming more and more popular, and they are so easy to pack up!  I love the bento boxes from pottery barn kids, I have also heard good things about laptop lunches.  Just add a few ice packs, and you are good to go!

Here are a few quick and easy ideas on what to pack your kids for lunch:

1) Make your own “lunchable”- Cheese, crackers, pepperoni (I love applegate naturals, un-cured, no nitrates), cut veggies, fruit, fruit leather.
2) Baked breaded chicken, snap peas, strawberries, healthy no sugar baked oatmeal cookie, almond clusters.
3) Chicken sausages, grapes, hard boiled egg, steamed broccoli, animal crackers.
4) Leftover soup in a thermos, blue corn chips, fruit leather, applesauce.

My favorite part about the bento box is that all you have to do is fill up the boxes with cut up fruit, vegetables, a little sandwich, and even a little treat!

The wedge salad is such a classic, and a crowd pleaser.  I made up a tray of mini wedge salads for a potluck the other day, and they were a lot of fun!

The wedge salad doesn’t take a lot to make, you just need a these key ingredients:

Iceberg lettuce cut in wedges
Bacon
Fresh tomatoes
Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola
Chopped hard boiled eggs
Chopped red onions
Ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing

And, there you have it!  A classic wedge salad for all!

With all of the fresh garden veggies popping up in the garden, there is no shortage of fresh in season tomatoes readily available.

This dish uses so many fresh vegetables, and they are cut in large chunks to be able to enjoy every bit of them!

{Fresh garden vegetable pasta salad}

1 1b package of fusili pasta, cooked
1 english cucumber, cut into chunks and peel on
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
2-3 garden tomatoes, cut into large chunks.
1/2 red onion, cut into small slices
1 cup kalamata olives, sliced lengthwise
1 cup pepper stuffed green olives, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Dressing

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Place pasta, and all the other ingredients in a large bowl.

In a small bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients except for the oils.  Slowly drizzle in the oils last.

Toss with pasta salad and serve.  Store in fridge.