A more sophisticated version of your favorite childhood lunch! These Grown-Up Lunchables are made with wholesome, high quality ingredients unlike their processed counterparts and make for an easy, healthy lunch to take on the go.
Who else had a packed lunch for school everyday when they were younger?
Peanut butter sandwiches (NO jelly) on wheat bread, a granola bar, fruit, and maybe a warm container of soup was pretty standard for me. But every once in a while when I would go grocery shopping with my mom, I’d BEG her to let me buy a Lunchable for a special treat.
You know Lunchables…the overly processed, packaged lunches that had a “main dish”, a drink, and a dessert. I remember when they were super simple…just the crackers, cheese, and deli meat combinations. But now I’ve seen Lunchables expand to tacos, pizzas, nachos, you name it!
I was always jealous of the other kids if they had a “cool” lunch like a Lunchable. So when my mom would buy one for me to pack, I was PUMPED. I would always choose the turkey, cheese, and crackers one with a Reese’s Cup and a Capri-Sun. Funny enough, I wouldn’t even eat the sliced cheese because I didn’t like cheese as a kid. So essentially my lunch was super salty processed turkey, Ritz-style crackers, a sugary juice drink, and a peanut butter cup. Talk about nourishing! ?
Looking back I see how big of a waste of money and nutrients that Lunchables are, but as a kid they were FUN to eat. My mom always tried to reason with me saying that she could cut up turkey and cheese for my in the same shapes and pack them with crackers in my lunch instead of buying it prepackaged, but I was a stubborn kid. I always told her that the homemade version “didn’t taste the same”. Probably because she was using higher quality ingredients, of course! ?
Well mom, I am finally taking your lead and making my OWN Lunchables. ?
Grown-Up Lunchables Made Easy
If you think about, Bento Box lunches are super popular right now! Kids and adults alike, love packing snack-y lunches to eat during busy days of school or work. Heck, sometimes snack plate lunches sound great to me even when I am working from home. With this in mind, I thought it would be fun to show you all how to make a healthy, “grown-up” verison of the classic kid lunchtime staple. I’m ready to put Lunchables out of business! ?
I swapped out all the processed, low-nutrient foods and put in high quality whole foods in their place. The highlight of this madeover Lunchable is definitely the Bob’s Better Bar for a sweet ending to the meal!
Bob’s Better Bars are the newest product from my friends at Bob’s Red Mill and their first ever snack bar. I had the pleasure of trying these bars during my time at Expo West last week (more info on that coming soon!) and I immediately fell in love! Unlike other bars that are small and unsatisfying, Bob’s Bars are bigger and packed with energizing nutrients from fruits, nuts, and of course…OATS. They’re the perfect combination of healthy fats, protein, and fiber to keep you full while also satisfying your sweet tooth. Who else needs something sweet to end a meal? ??♀️
The bars come in the following flavors:
-Peanut Butter Jelly & Oats
-Peanut Butter Banana & Oats
-Peanut Butter Chocolate & Oats
-Peanut Butter Apple Spice & Oats
-Peanut Butter Coconut & Oats
How good do all of those sound?! And ANY of them is a great addition to your Grown-Up Lunchable meal. ?
PrintGrown-Up Lunchables
A more sophisticated version of your favorite childhood lunch! These Grown-Up Lunchables are made with wholesome, high quality ingredients unlike their processed counterparts and make for an easy, healthy lunch to take on the go.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Ingredients
1 serving of whole wheat or gluten-free round crackers
3 slices of low-sodium nitrate-free organic turkey
2 slices of organic low-fat provolone cheese
1 cup of green grapes
1 Bob’s Better Bar of choice
Instructions
Using a sharp knife or a round cookie cutter, cut out circles from the cheese and turkey slices (you can also slice them into 4 quadrants to make it easier). Pack turkey and cheese together in one compartment of your lunchbox or in a small plastic tupperware. Pack grapes and crackers (in seperate containers). Finish by adding a juice box and a Bob’s Better Bar for a healthy sweet treat to end the meal.
Keywords: lunch, easy recipe, bento box, gluten-free, high protein, snack, easy lunch
Fun to Eat & Balanced
My Grown-Lunchables have everything you need for a fun to eat, well-balanced mid-day meal.
-protein organic meat and cheese (vegan versions can be used to make this lunch vegan-friendly)
-complex carbs and fiber from whole grain crackers
-fiber and antioxidants from the grapes
-hydration from the 100% juice box
-sweet tooth cravings satisfied with the Bob’s Better Bar
I personally LOVE snack-y lunches like this! It reminds me of being a kid and having fun with food. Plus, you can’t get a healthier or TASTIER dessert than a Bob’s Better Bar!
Did you eat Lunchables as a kid?
Do you ever make snack-y lunches like this?
Which Bob’s Better Bar flavor do you most want to try?
PS: Sorry for the lack of posts last week and now this week! Expo West was a lot busier than expected and then I had issues with my website when I got back on Saturday/Sunday! Things should be back to normal going forward. Thanks for your patience and support as always!!
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Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner Party. Hope your weekend is fantastic!
Thanks Helen!
Great combinations for Adult lunchables! Thanks so much for sharing your post with us for our special St. Patrick’s Day Full Plate Thursday! Have a great week and come back soon.
Miz Helen
★★★★★
Thanks Helen! Hope you love them as much as I do!
I love your lunch box! I’m kind of addicted to lunch boxes. I used to love Lunchables, too, but now they seem ridiculous to me–adult perspectives, huh? These days I’m more likely to make myself a nice spread for my crackers, like red pepper relish or hummus, and have it with fresh fruit and veggies. It’s just as easy and, as you point out, so much better for me–and cheaper to boot!
I’ve not seen those bars from Bob’s Red Mill yet, but that’s a great brand and my pantry has all sorts of Bob’s Red Mill stuff in it.
Thank you!! I hope you try these for yourself. 🙂
I’ve eaten a few lunchables in my time. They’re a mindless way to get some protein and feel full…for a little while. BUT…they are loaded with garbage so I tried a few of your “homemade lunchables”. I gotta say, they’re easy to put together and I can craft them to appeal to my nephew’s recently-discovered gluten issue. And while I like the Red Mill bars, I’ve started making my own…peanut butter, honey, dried cranberries, a splash of vanilla, and organic oats all mized together and mashed in a pan. Anyway, this lunchable idea is awesome !
I am so happy you liked this idea!! Thanks for trying it.
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Lovin that box you packed them in! Cute idea! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! We hope you will join us again next week!
Kim
★★★★★
Thanks Kim! Hope you give these a try. So fun to make and eat!!