5 Easy Lunch Ideas
(or How to Make 5 Easy, Healthy, Packable and Kid Friendly Lunches to take to the Ball Field)
If you’re spending all day Saturday at the ball field, you’re eventually going to need to eat. You have options – – head to the concession stand for a lukewarm hot dog, run out to the nearest drive through, or pack your own healthy lunch. While I alternate between all three options, depending on how crazy our weekend is going, I do try to pack lunch for the family most weekends.
The issue with packing your own lunch arises when you’re leaving early in the morning, and know you could potentially be at the ball field for 10-12 hours, depending on whether or not your team makes it to play offs. The solution? These 5 easy lunch ideas are healthy, kid friendly, quick to make, and will keep well all day. They are also ‘adult friendly’, meaning that you can make everyone the same lunch.
My secret to quick lunches: Costco Rotisserie Chicken
My secret weapon for easy lunch ideas is the infamous $5 dollar rotisserie chicken from Costco. Weekly, I buy at least 1 rotisserie chicken from Costco. Pull the meat off the bones as soon as you get home, chop it, and store it in ziploc bags for the easiest lunch or dinner protein you’ll ever have. The meat is best used within about 3 days. If I buy two chickens, I freeze the pulled meat from the second chicken for later use.
With pulled and chopped rotisserie chicken, plus a couple ingredients you probably already have at home, you’re minutes from having your cooler packed with lunch so you can avoid the concession stand hot dogs.
Here are my 5 best non-recipe ‘recipes’. Each makes one serving, but these recipes are easy enough that you can make every member of the family their own ‘order’ in minutes.
Buffalo Chicken Wrap
Season 3 oz of chopped rotisserie chicken with 1 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (or to taste). On a burrito size tortilla, lay lettuce, the buffalo chicken, then drizzle lightly with blue cheese dressing. Roll tortilla tightly and wrap in foil.
Chicken Salad Wrap
In a small bowl, combine 3 oz of chopped rotisserie chicken with chopped apple, finely chopped celery, 1 tbsp Mayonnaise to taste, 1 tsp Dijon Mustard to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Roll tortilla tightly and wrap in foil.
Honey Mustard Wrap
Toss 3 oz of chopped rotisserie chicken with 1 tbsp Honey Mustard. On a tortilla, lay lettuce, top with Honey Mustard Chicken, and about 1 oz Shredded cheese. Roll tortilla tightly and wrap in foil.
BBQ Chicken Wrap
Toss 3 oz of chopped chicken chicken lightly in BBQ sauce. On a tortilla, lay lettuce, top with BBQ chicken, and about 1 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese. Roll tortilla tightly and wrap in foil.
Bento box
In a small container (like this one from Zip Loc) place 3 oz chopped rotisserie chicken, a dipping sauce (I keep extra single serving Chick Fil A or Burger King sauces for this purpose), grapes, cheese cubes or string cheese, carrot sticks, celery.
With minimal prep work, you can have a healthy, kid friendly (and adult friendly) lunch packed for your entire family to take to the ball field. Try these 5 Easy Lunch ideas and avoid the concession stand!
Need more healthy and creative meal ideas with minimal prep? Check out these popular printables:
20 Pre-Game Snack Ideas Printable
