"Leftovers for Lunch" Lunchbox Roundup

This is the next installment in my series of lunchbox roundups that features different types of lunchboxes I pack for my daughters and post almost daily on my Pinterest and Facebook pages. Dinner, breakfast, or snack leftovers are great foods to incorporate into your child’s lunchbox. When packing lunchboxes, I always try to include three types of foods:

Grow food (protein+starch)
Vegetables
Fruit and/or dairy

I also usually include a small serving of a sweet treat, to round out the meal. I am also a big proponent of packing a small serving of a less liked or new food into your child’s lunchbox from time to time. This way, they get one more opportunity to learn to like something new!

Here are some of the earlier lunchbox-themed posts that you may find useful:

The Art and Science of Packing a Lunchbox

Lunchbox safety

Involving kids in lunchbox preparation

Sample lunchbox menus

Grain and pasta salad recipes

Pasta and Noodle Lunchbox Roundup

Rice and Grain Lunchbox Roundup

As most busy parents know, it can be a challenge cooking a homemade dinner or breakfast from scratch and then still having to worry about what to pack the kids for lunch. Packing leftovers in your child’s lunchbox relieves some of this stress because one meal can serve two purposes– especially if the kids loved what you made for dinner the night before! Chicken and turkey are good leftover dinner choices because they can be eaten cold. Serve the chicken or turkey leftovers with a side of ketchup (or other condiment like honey mustard sauce), vegetables and fruit and you’ll have a well-balanced lunchbox in minutes. My daughters are also fans of homemade mushroom leftover pizza. Simply pack a side of fruit and vegetables in the lunchbox to balance out the pizza.

Don’t just limit leftover ideas to dinner foods, breakfast leftovers such as pancakes or whole grain french toast are also great foods to include in a child’s lunchbox. Other options may include whole grain homemade waffles or whole wheat muffins or bread. Serve breakfast foods with a side of pure maple syrup, fruit, and vegetables to round out the meal. Pita chips and hummus or smoked salmon are just a few examples of leftover snack options that can be included as part of a well-balanced lunchbox.

It’s common for adults to eat what they made for dinner for lunch the next day. Take the guesswork out of the question, “what am I going to pack my child for lunch today?” by packing dinner or breakfast leftovers in your child’s lunchbox!

Below are several “leftovers for lunch” lunchboxes (including pictures and ingredients) I have made for my daughters in the past.

Lunchbox #1

Lunchbox #1 Ingredients:
Spaghetti squash with tomato sauce
Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese and salmon
Carrots and grapes
A square of dark chocolate with sea salt

Lunchbox #2

Lunchbox #2 Ingredients:
Pancakes (breakfast leftovers)
Smoked salmon and maple syrup
Grapes, celery, cheese stick and dried cranberries

Lunchbox #3

Lunchbox #3 Ingredients:
Breaded chicken stripes with ketchup
Broccoli with ginger miso dressing
Strawberries and cantaloupe
Apple granola and bunny cookies

Lunchbox #4

Lunchbox #4 Ingredients:
Breaded turkey breast (dinner leftovers) with ketchup
Steamed broccoli
Grapes, banana bread and crackers

Lunchbox #5

Lunchbox #5 Ingredients:
Home-made mushroom pizza leftovers
Cherry tomatoes and grapes
Ham “noodles” and a yogurt drink

Lunchbox #6

Lunchbox #6 Ingredients:
Mushroom pizza (dinner leftovers)
Sautéed broccoli rabe (yummy even cold)
Grapes and cookies
Dried cranberries for a dessert

Lunchbox #7

Lunchbox #7 Ingredients:
Pita chips
Carrots, cucumbers and hummus
Blueberries, pineapple and a piece of homemade choc chip cookie

Lunchbox #8

Lunchbox #8 Ingredients:
Beef and mushroom patty ( a variation of this turkey/mushroom meatballs recipe)
Whole wheat bread, ketchup
Baked sweet potato fries
Pineapple and dark chocolate chips

Lunchbox #9