Fall-Themed School Lunch Ideas
Its Monday! And with Sam and Emma having gone back to in-person school last week, Monday means I have a whole week of school-lunch making ahead of me. At this point, you have probably figured out that we love a theme here at Lets Wine About It Sister and school lunches are no exception!
Let me start by saying this post is in no way intended to inspire any sort of Mom-guilt. No person should feel any obligation to make elaborate-themed lunches. Getting you kids to school with a lunch everyday should in and of itself be applauded. So yes, I am sure many people will roll their eyes (my husband Ryan sure does!) at my themed lunches but its part of my love language for my kids.
I went back to working full-time when Sam and Emma were 3 1/2 months old. As a result, I am not the mom volunteering in the classroom weekly, driving for fieldtrips, or hosting playdates. One way I have elected to show Sam and Emma that I am thinking about them during the school day is to write daily lunch notes and sometimes concoct elaborate-themed lunches that I make in the evening after the kids go to bed. The number of themed-lunches definitely increase during holiday time – so much more inspiration to work with!
So, on this Monday, if you are looking for a little fall-themed lunch inspiration for your kiddos, please read below. But if this post is Mom-guilt triggering for you, feel free to close your browser, avert your eyes, or make fun of my poorly drawn Frankenstein apple faces. We will not take offense to any of the aforementioned options!
Apple-Themed Fall Lunch
Every fall I make a version of an apple-themed lunch for Sam and Emma. Since in-person school didn’t start until October this year, apple season came a little later than usual to our lunch boxes. Central to the theme: apple-shaped sandwiches (using this cookie cutter) with gummy worms sticking out of them. Cookie cutters are my secret lunch weapon! I always include some sort of applesauce pouch (this year a la Trader Joe’s) and Trader Joe’s leaf tortilla chips. I also cut out some apple-shaped cucumber slices and used the apple cookie cutter on slices of American cheese.
Spider-Themed Lunch
Super easy spider-themed lunch heading to school with Sam and Emma today. Using a round cookie or biscuit cutter (like this), I cut out a turkey and cheese sandwich for Sam and PBJ sandwich for Emma. To the top of Emma’s sandwich I added a swirl of Betty Crocker’s premade white cookie frosting (purchased at QFC) that I drug a toothpick through to create a spider web and to Sam’s added pretzel stick legs and candy eyeball sprinkles (linked here). Oreo cookies with more pretzel legs and mini-M&M’s for eyes made great spiders for dessert. For healthier options, I used a black Sharpie to draw Frankenstein-faces on sandwich bags covering green apples and jack-o-lanterns on baby carrots. And, for a fun snack, added Boos & Bites Pirate’s Booty that I purchased from Target.
Halloween Mac’n Cheese Lunch
Last Friday, Sam wanted noodles for lunch. So in small thermoses that I purchased from Pottery Barn Kids a long time ago (similar linked here), I sent Halloween-shaped mac’n cheese (available here) to school with “pumpkin” hotdog pieces on top. Pastabilities also makes just plain Halloween pasta (also available on Amazon) that would make a great butter noodles lunch option. The thermoses do a great job keeping food warm till lunch time (especially if you let it sit for 15 minutes or so with hot water inside before adding the warm food). Fruit and vegetables were pumpkin-shaped seaweed that I cut with kitchen shears and mummy pouches, i.e. applesauce pouches wrapped in toilet paper.
Mom’s Gone Batty-Themed Lunch
To make this very batty lunch, I simply cut out sandwiches with a bat cookie cutter (here is a great bat cookie cutter option) and used a mini-bat cookie cutter to cut out pieces of apple, cucumber, orange bell pepper and American cheese. Then I supplemented with Bats & Jacks Halloween pretzels (from Target), Haribo sour vampire bats (here and here), and Annie’s Bunnies & Bats (available here). Bat-themed jokes were also a fun addition!
Pumpkin-Themed Lunch
Pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins, oh my! Here is the pumpkin cookie cutter I used to make pumpkin-themed sandwiches for Sam and Emma (also where I apparently got my mini bat). I used a paring knife to cut out a jack-o-lantern face for Sam’s turkey and cheese sandwich (Emma was having PBJ which is too messy for the addition of a face!). This is the technique I used to create these cute carrot pumpkins (which I also used for the cucumber “apples” and pumpkin hotdogs above). Then I added, bell pepper slices for some extra orange and peeled mini-mandarin oranges with small pieces of celery to round out the fruit category. And, because I am such a nice mom, I added Brach’s mellowcreme pumpkins for dessert (purchased at QFC).
Spooky Ghost-Themed Lunch
For this ghostly lunch, I simply cut out PBJ sandwiches with a ghost cookie cutter and added mini-chocolate chip eyes that I adhered with a dab of frosting. Trader Joe’s Boo Chips and string cheese with Sharpie-faces added more ghosts to Sam and Emma’s lunch that I finished off with apple slices and carrot & celery sticks. With a nod to Sam and Emma’s favorite Halloween book as young children, I added a note to each lunch: “Boo, Boo, I Love You!”.
Do you make themed lunches for your kiddos? Or, do you rightfully think our lunches are just plain nuts? If you happen to use any of the above Fall Lunch Ideas for inspiration, please tag us on Instagram @letswineaboutitsister. We would love to see pictures!
