Favourite Packable Kid-Friendly School Lunch Ideas

There’s no denying that for children everywhere, the 2020-2021 school year will look different than those in the past. Just how different, is yet to be fully determined. But one thing that will remain constant is lunch time, and the need to pack your child’s lunch.

Check out some of our favourite packable kid-friendly school lunch ideas, made with Mastro/San Daniele cooked deli meats.

This September, our family enters a new chapter - our oldest daughter enters kindergarten. And while we're all excited for her to go to "big girl school", one thing I'm NOT looking forward to? Having to pack her lunch every day.

I was having a conversation with a girlfriend the other day about school lunches. For the past six months, I’ve made my girls’ lunch every. single. day. Making my kindergartener lunch for school should be no different, right? Wrong. We may only be a few days into the school year, but I’ve quickly found that the opposite is true.

So much more planning needs to go into school lunches - ensuring they have enough food to last the entire day, that what you pack is peanut-free, that your kids actually like and eat what you pack, that the lunch contains minimal packaging, that they can easily open any of those packages, and so on, and so on.

At the end of the day, regardless of whether our children are in kindergarten or high school, we just want them to eat lunch. Am I right?! But, coming up with creative ideas that ensure no food gets left behind can often be a challenge.

Mastro/San Daniele offers a variety of cooked deli meat products that are great for families and can make going back-to-school easier. They are versatile, light and can be used to elevate a dish that you eat regularly (think that reliable lunch sandwich) or incorporated into a tasty snack.

Check out our favourite packable kid-friendly lunch ideas made with Mastro/San Daniele cooked deli meats - meals that are easy to whip up the night before, but delicious and healthy to keep our kiddos fuelled throughout their busy day (regardless of what that may look like this school year).

Favourite Kid-Friendly School Lunch Ideas

Nectarine Wraps

Kids won’t eat fruit? Try this fun alternative. Mastro Prosciutto Cotto is full in flavour, extra lean and low in fat. Combined with the sweet nectarine, its a winning combination.

What you’ll need:

Mastro Prosciutto Cotto
Nectarine (can also use peach, pear or melon)

What to do:

Slice the nectarine into manageable sizes.
Wrap each individual slice of nectarine in an approximately sized piece of prosciutto cotto.

Ham & Cheese Flatbread

A fun spin on a classic sandwich! Slow cooked to perfection, Mastro Capocollo’s distinctive flavours make it ideal in sandwiches, antipasto and pizzas.

What you’ll need:

Mastro Capocollo
Cheese, thinly sliced
Small pita or naan bread
Mayonnaise (optional)
Mustard (optional)
Shape cutters (optional)

What to do:

If your child likes mayonnaise and mustard, add a thin layer of each to the top of the pita or naan.
Add a piece of Mastro Capocollo on top of the bread.
On top of the cooked deli meat, add a piece of thinly sliced cheese (your choice of variety).
If you want to get really fancy and fun, use shape cutters to cut fun shapes into the bread, meat and cheese.

Lunch Sandwich Sushi

Perfectly portioned, two-bite sandwich rolls. It’s like kid-friendly sushi! San Daniele Mortadella is gently prepared and cooked to savoury perfection, a great choice for this lunch sushi. It comes in three varieties - classica, light and hot.

What you’ll need:

San Daniele Mortadella
Whole wheat tortilla
Cream cheese
Cucumber, thinly sliced

What to do:

Peel and thinly slice cucumber.
Lay out the tortilla on a flat surface, and cover in a thin, even layer of cream cheese.
At the bottom of the tortilla (closest to you), lay a few thin slices of cucumber.
Layer a piece of San Daniele Mortadella on top of the cucumber.
Starting from the bottom (closest to you), roll up the tortilla. If the wrap does not stay closed, use a bit of cream cheese to hold it together.
Using a sharp knife, slice in one inch sections.