During the school year, students spend their time rushing to get homework done and stressing about sports and after school activities, so the importance of eating nutritious meals throughout the day is often forgotten. Finding lunches for school is sometimes difficult because most people do not have time in the morning but these easy lunch ideas are perfect for making the night before. These three lunch ideas will bring a variety of different food options to make before you start the school day.

First, a chicken caesar wrap is light and easy to make. This lunch is perfect for school because it can be made the night before and be refrigerated, so it is ready for the morning. This lunch will be a fan favorite because it is delicious and only takes 15 minutes or less to make. If people want to try something different, adding avocado or bacon to the wrap is a good way to spice up the flavors. The ingredients needed include chicken (fried or grilled), lettuce, wheat or white wraps, bacon and avocado. 

Caprese pasta is another healthy and effortless lunch to make before school. This pasta can be served warm or cold, which gives the dish more variety. Keeping the dish cold is preferable because it is easier to have cold dishes to bring to school but if some prefer the dish to be hot, keeping it in a thermos until lunch would keep the food warm. The combination of mozzarella, basil and tomatoes served over pasta is a dish that will not disappoint. The ingredients for this dish are 2 cups of cooked pasta, ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, two pints cherry or grape tomatoes, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, eight ounces mozzarella “pearls”, or one mozzarella ball torn into bite-sized pieces, fresh basil and two to three teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. If preferable, adding chicken or onion will give the dish more flavor and is a good addition to incorporate into the pasta salad.

Finally, a quesadilla is the perfect food to incorporate into weekly lunches. This lunch only takes about 5 to 10 minutes so it can easily be made right before school and kept warm by wrapping it in tinfoil. It can be made the night before, refrigerated overnight and heated up in the morning and it will still taste just as good. There are many different ingredients that can be put into the quesadilla including chicken, peppers and onions and black beans, or the easiest is to make a simple cheese quesadilla. The only ingredients needed are tortillas, shredded cheese, and whatever other meats or vegetables you want to put in the quesadilla. There are many different combinations of ingredients for this dish, which is different from the other simple lunches you could bring.

Instead of making simple lunches like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or salads, these three lunches are able to create a larger range of foods that are fun and easy to make. These easy yet delicious lunches are perfect for students who need a quick and simple lunch to make but want to diversify from the traditional school lunches.