Four Nutritious Combos For Your Child's Next Packed Lunch

It’s 3 pm. You had lunch two hours earlier, but you’re ravenous again. How could that be? It could be that your meal wasn’t nutritionally balanced – maybe lacking enough protein or fiber. 

We’ve all been there at some point, and know how crucial that middle-of-the-day meal can be for boosting afternoon productivity. This is just as important for kids, but it can be hard to pack your child a lunch that is both flavorful, nutritious, and doesn’t take hours out of your day to prepare it. 

Well… it just so happens that our hummus is an incredibly versatile addition to any lunchbox – rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Here are four delicious and nutritionally balanced lunch combos incorporating our hummus that we hope your child will love!

1. Turkey and Hummus Roll-Ups with Veggie Sticks

Ingredients:

• Whole grain tortilla
• Sliced turkey breast
• Our Smooth Classic Hummus
• Carrot sticks
• Cucumber sticks
• Apple slices

This meal is rich in protein from the turkey, fiber from the whole grains, and vitamins from the fruits and veggies. It’s easy to prepare for you, and fun to eat for them. 

2. Hummus and Veggie Pasta Salad with a Side of Mixed Berries

Ingredients:

• 4 oz whole grain pasta
• A few dollops of our Preserved Lemon Hummus 
• ½ cup Cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup diced cucumbers
• A small handful of sliced black olives (optional)
• A handful of crumbled feta cheese

on the side: 

• mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)

This meal is rich in complex carbohydrates from the pasta, (so their energy won’t tank in an hour), healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and antioxidants. The meal is vitamin-rich and packed with flavor, and the hummus acts as a creamy dressing to tie all of the ingredients together.

3. Hummus and Chicken Salad with Whole Wheat Crackers

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cooked, diced chicken breast
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup cucumber, diced
• ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
• ¼ cup diced kalamata olives (optional, depending on your child’s preferences)
• 2-3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
• A few sprigs of parsley, freshly chopped

dressing

• ¼ cup hummus
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• ½ clove garlic, minced
• Dash of water to thin, if needed
• salt/pepper to taste

on the side

• Whole wheat crackers
• Orange slices

This meal is rich in protein from the chicken, vitamins and minerals from the veggies, and fiber from the whole grain crackers. The deconstructed salad allows your child to mix and match the components however they like. 

4. Hummus and Cheese Bento Box

Ingredients:

• Any flavor of our hummus!
• Cubes of cheddar or mozzarella cheese
• Sliced bell peppers (red, yellow, and/or green)
• Green grapes
• Whole grain pita bread (we love Angel Bakeries if you can get your hands on it!) or chips

This meal is rich in calcium and some protein from the cheese, and vitamins and fiber from the veggies and pita bread. The hummus adds in some additional protein and fiber as well. The bento box is a very fun way to eat a meal (if you ask us), and once again, is so easy to prepare.

These four lunch combination ideas are nutritionally balanced, easy to prepare, and fun to eat. Using these as a launch point for packing your child's next meal will help ensure they're getting a nutritious, satisfying lunch, without that dreaded post-lunch energy crash.