This post is brought to you by a Healthy Slice partner.
Summertime!! Ok, summertime officially begins June 21, but with Memorial Day behind us and the kids out of school, it sure feels like summer is in full swing. My CSA has been filling my fridge with all sorts of fresh produce and I’ve been doing my best to eat my way through it. I quickly found that food prep is the only way for me to efficiently utilize my green goods before they go bad. Because of this I’ve been more consistent with prep for healthy summer lunches and even stepped up my game a notch with the help of Rubbermaid Balance Meal Kits.
Check out this cool new product they offer–
The Rubbermaid Balance Meal Kit comes with specifically portioned containers for grains, vegetables, fruit, and protein which eliminates the need to measure. All the containers fit neatly into the convenient carry box for easy transport to all the summer adventures us moms go on- the zoo, the pool, the splash pad, or even wild frontiers like… the front yard.
I’ve had so much fun recently trying different healthy summer lunches (in hopes to avoid the dreaded lunch rut) and wanted to share 7 of my favorite light ‘n healthy summer lunches for busy moms.
Kale Pesto Pasta
I made a variation of this 5 Minute Kale Pesto (I just subbed walnuts in the place of almonds) and tossed it with rotini. Bonus- the girls loved this too! I filled out the meal with chickpeas for protein, hearts of palm and artichoke hearts for veggies (they went great with the pesto!) and cantaloupe balls.
Egg Salad Scoopers
I made a simple egg salad (similar to this one), then added some brown rice cakes to scoop it out with. Sliced mini pepper rings and cantaloupe with blueberries to round it out.
Make Your Own Parfait
As simple as it gets for those really rushed mornings! Greek yogurt with honey, granola (Julie’s hemp seed granola pictured below is delicious!), and blueberries make a delicious parfait. And I love carrots to just crunch on by themselves!
Healthier Nachos
OK, I totally would have used tortilla chips if I had them on hand, but pretzels turned out to be tasty too! Paired with Monterrey jack cheese for protein, guacamole for fruit (possibly a stretch, but avocado is a fruit!), and fresh pineapple salsa for veggies. So good!
Pizza Pizza
This combo made me feel like a kid with a Lunchable, but in a slightly more mature fashion. Wheat pita triangles for the grain section, pizza sauce for the vegetable (I get it, a slight stretch), mozzarella balls and Applegate turkey pepperoni for the protein. And a little kiwi to round it out.
Snack Plate Lunch
As simple as it gets: Mary Gone Crackers (which David tried they other day and immediately told me, ugh, these must be Whole30 compliant- lol) with turkey and Cabot’s habanero cheddar cheese make a great snack combo, with mini peppers and frozen mango to boot.
The Leftover Lunch
This is a combo I would easily toss together before we take off for the pool. Leftover roasted potatoes for the carb, pistachios for protein (and healthy fat), a simple salad, and blueberries and goji berries.
I don’t regularly measure portions or count calories, but having a designated area for each food group definitely made me more aware of keeping meals well balanced. I realized how often I skip out on fruit or don’t eat enough protein. Each of these lunches was satiating and filled me up more than I anticipated.
The BPA-free Rubbermaid Balance Meal Kit is microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe, making clean up a breeze. I think it makes a great food storage addition for any mom, whether you are headed to the office or to stand watch over a lemonade stand.
If you’re interested in trying one yourself, leave a comment with your favorite healthy summer lunch combination below.
On Friday morning (June 9), a winner will be picked to win a Rubbermaid Balance Meal Kit of their own!
Thank you Rubbermaid for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
montessoriishmom says
Those all look so good, I want to try the kale pesto pasta salad, yum!
Nicole says
Your Kale Pesto Pasta and Egg Salad Scoopers look delicious! I love the idea of built-in portion control with these containers!
Alexandra says
Love these containers! I usually eat leftovers for a quick lunch but love lettuce wraps with chicken, avocado, beans and salsa and a little cheese…basically tacos but I’m romaine lettuce boats 🙂
Elizabeth says
Love how practical this is. I can see hummus with rice cakes being put in these. I crave fruit salads in the summer time!
Kylee says
I love homemade egg or tuna salad on a hot summer day!
These meal kits are so great! I would love to be able to use it every day, packing up my lunch!
Caylin says
Edammamme Hummus served with carrot and cucumber sticks. Crunchy baked peas and sliced apple. I love little snack plates for myself and my daughter!!
Monica Holmes says
This is brilliant. I need to get out of the lazy rut of grabbing a Lean Cuisine out of the freezer. #workingmomproblems I really like the leftovers lunch I have packed for today – brown rice, mashed sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli and ground chicken.
Jodi Hancock says
I love homemade tuna with romaine and some sort of fruit!
Would love this container to carry around all summer!
Brittany says
I love the idea of the balance box, and would love to make the healthy nachos.
Ann says
My go-to lunch is a salad topped with whatever leftovers are in the fridge, and cheese & dressing that go with it.
Christen says
I’m super basic and just do some turkey roll-ups with lots of fruits and veggies on the side!
Cathy says
Love this! My favorite go-to is roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with an avocado sauce on pita!
erin says
What a cool concept! This would be perfect for having ready to grab and take to the pool. My favorite healthy summer lunch/meal is grilled lemon chicken in a cucumber, red onion, red pepper and tomato salad with avocado.
MurdocksMama says
My kids’ favorite it when I make them ‘lunchables’ with turkey, cheese, crackers, greek yogurt & a fruit.
EMily G says
I love snack plate lunches – lunch meat, cheese, crackers, olives, maybe a little piece of chocolate for a treat 😉
heather says
I love a snack plate! Some veggies and hummus, some turkey, and some fruit.
Katie says
Love a simple pasta salad. I make a big batch on the weekend and eat it all week–adding chicken or a side of fruit depending on the day!
Irene says
Around here we love tuna salad on crackers and give us all the berries, mangoes, and watermelon.
Julie Lenamon says
We love guacamole with wheat pita bread, turkey slices, and cucumbers!
Lisa Cormier says
Oh these would be great for summer days at the beach/lake. Our go to quick lunch (even dinner sometimes) are ham and cheese tortilla roll ups with string beans and fruit.
Rebecca says
Love these containers! Hummus with crackers and carrots!
Megan says
I love yogurt with cereal and bananas in the summer- so cool and refreshing yet filling!
Katie says
I love a good Mediterranean-style veggie sandwich! But woah totally love the pizza idea – will be trying that one asap!!!
Stephanie says
Ahh, these boxes, and lunches, look amazing. Honestly I’m usually eating leftovers for lunch, so I guess that’s my fav. haha 🙂
Stephanie Phelps says
I love a turkey wrap with apples and raisins for a healthy lunch in the summer!
Alex Hestilow says
Snackplate lunch all the way
Leslie says
These look tasty, but do you find that this amount of food keeps you full? I’m a mom to three (4, 2, 3 mo) and I’m struggling to find lunches that keep me full until dinner time. It could be that breastfeeding hunger, but I just never feel satisfied from lunch to dinner time! I manage to feed myself well for breakfast but healthy, balanced, filling lunches are proving to be difficult.
Emily Hazard says
We looove Caprese salad, hummus, and whole wheat pitas in the summer. Such a great combo!
trish says
I love this! Perfect….I like to have watermelon, almonds, cheese and carrot sticks.
Jessie says
Tuna salad with cucumber slices is one of my favorite lunches during the summer!
Linda says
What a great product!!! My favorite quick and easy lunch is peanut butter on wasa crisp crackers and an apple. This container would help me get in a veggie.
Abby says
I like cold pasta or quinoa salads that you can throw any combo of veggies in!
Jen says
How did I not know about these??? I would use these everyday to pack my lunch. I typically stick to salads at work but I’m guessing I could get creative with my food choices. Thanks for bringing these to our attention!!
shannon says
I love portion containers as it makes it easier to eat a variety of food groups at 1 meal. My kids would love the “make your own pizza” idea!
Hannah says
I love a good salad with lettuce, chicken, tomato, avocado, and balsamic. Yum!
Ashlyn says
A fresh tomato sandwich with watermelon on the side!
Jennifer says
Great idea!! Since I am trying to limit my carbs, I’d do some egg salad, cheese, pepperoni and strawberries! Yum!
Andrea Love says
I love making a cold pasta salad with tons of diced veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, onions and carrots. I used olives, cheese and pepperoni. It’s a great way to use up extra vegetables in the fridge before they go bad. ;-).
Heather says
I definitely fail at balanced lunches for myself. In the summertime I usually end up throwing together a quick salad, but I like the look/size of this lunch kit! It would actually fit in my lunch bag rather than me trying to squeeze in random containers and nothing fitting. Haha! I could easily pack a hard-boiled egg, some fruit, and a crunchy veggie and pretzels or something. Quick and easy with a little bit of everything!
Devika Boulio says
Those are all better ideas than our typical lunches!! Hummus and crackers/pretzels/veggies are our go to healthy lunch on the go!!
Erica says
These look great! I’ve been packing my lunches for years for work, and I do a good job of having fruit and protein (fruit + yogurt or cottage cheese) and some main dish (which is usually leftovers) but sometimes fail at having enough veggies at lunch.
I like the idea of this bento box versus others I’ve looked at. I specifically like the way the containers can come out so that you can microwave one item while the others stay cool. Most bento boxes just have sections and I could never figure out how I’d be able to heat up a main dish if necessary!
Dana says
Love this! I’m always looking for healthy lunch ideas for the kids and myself! These are great! My favorite would have to be the nachos:)
Brittany says
I live for hummus and crispy veggies and Caprese salad with basil from my garden in the summer!
Emilie says
I love turkey lettuce wraps and all the fruit
Sara says
I would love to win this! My favorite lunch lately has been a black bean burger over roasted veggies.
Christine says
I always seem to do leftovers from the night before and add some seasonal fruit as a side. But in the case where there are no left overs I love cucumber slices with hummus, sliced cheese or a yogurt w/ fruit and some kind of carby food like plantain chips or popcorn. And a small piece of dark chocolate doesn’t hurt either 😉 These containers are adorable – I’ve been looking for one to use and this looks perfect!
Stephanie O. says
I love chicken salad, nut thins, baby carrots and watermelon chunks in the summer. That meal would fit in this kit perfectly!
Allie A says
My go to healthy lunch in the summer is an apple, carrots and peanut butter with some cheddar cheese! These containers are great and seem so handy!
Marie says
this is a great idea. I would do a salad with the toppings in the side containers-grilled chicken, garbanzo beans, peppers, with dressing in one of the other containers!
Jessie says
Love this! I love taking grill or cookout leftovers, like a burger and coleslaw, grilled veggies and potatoes to top a leafy green salad. Mmm! And some watermelon!
Kelli D. says
These are definitely a step up from my 5 year old Ziploc portioned containers (that are no longer available??). Turkey and cheese sandwiches, guac with tortilla chips and grapes (or any fruit really!) are a favorite of my 5 and 3 year old son and daughter! It’s our go too when packing lunches to eat at Papa and Mimi’s pool each Saturday! 🙂
Jeannie says
Loving bacon spinach tomato avocado mozzarella red pepper flakes on Ezekiel toast. Also salads.
Britt says
I’ve been loving lettuce wraps with tuna salad or deli meat, cheese and mayo. With lots of watermelon!
Emily K says
Oh my these look amazing and would be a great addition to my kids and my own lunch prep for the week. I love that they containers are individual and fit into the main base all covered! I think my favorite summer lunch prep is the leftovers. I know that you have said you guys don’t have a tons of leftovers, but we do almost every night and making these into lunches for the next day are such a great time saver and I always enjoy them at work!
Layla says
I love homemade chicken salad with crackers and fresh fruit.
Amanda W says
Would make it so easy to prepare some lunch/snacks right now while I’m breastfeeding – bonus is that a lot of your ideas I could eat with one hand!!!
Sarah says
I LOVE both the pizza and the nachos ideas! So creative!! YUM!
MaryBeth says
That kale pesto sounds SO good!
My daughter and I have been loving yogurt + fruit + broccoli cheddar quinoa bites lately!
Margo says
Would love to try the egg salad or pesto salad!
Laura says
Love these containers! My daughter is 5 but still loves what we call “a big snack” – some combination of crackers, cheese, deli meats, nuts, fruits, vegetables, etc. The combinations are endless, and I love using divided containers for meals like this Especially for an outdoor picnic. Gives then options and gets them excited about eating!
Nicole says
Light, fresh meals are the way to go! Pasta salads with veggies, pita with hummus, mango…these are some of the recent lunch combos:)
Sam says
I love giant salads during the summer but my favorite lately has been a version of antipasto served over romaine lettuce with greek yogurt ranch dressing and red wine vinegar!
alyssa says
this is great! I would love this for pasta salads, fruit, veggies, and a small treat!
Olivia K says
I always eat lighter during the summer so I love fresh fruit with eggs and toast with hummus!
Tracy says
I love cottage cheese mixed with hummus (sounds weird, but so good! Try it!). I scoop it up with a variety of veggie dippers plus tortilla chips. I also love carrots & peanut butter 🙂
Anna H says
My go-to lunch these days is rolled up lunchmeat and cheese with a side salad and fruit. Summer produce makes eating healthy much easier!
Sara C says
This container system would work so well as a teacher! I love the portion sizes for each food group.
Jessica says
I love all of the combinations you posted. I would definitely make something similar to the healthier nachos!
Lauren says
That Pizza Pizza combo looks amazing!
Jessica says
So neat! I should do better about knowing my portions and this would definitely help. I’m liking the look of the salad – I love pistachios!
Haley Duerst says
That new rubbermaid thing is awesome! I always pack leftovers for lunch for usually things like rice and beans with chips to dip, or a HB egg, yogurt and granola. Also taco salad is a favorite summer lunch and dinner! Love your blog!
Laura says
I love this! These look so convenient! I don’t meal plan and lunches are just whatever we have on hand. So ours would probably look like Black Forest Jan slices for protein, sugar snap peas for veggie, strawberries for fruit and pretzels or pirates booty for carb!
ErikaMC says
Snack plates are a favorite in our house or pizza roll ups. With all the summer activities going on these would come in very handy.
Amy says
I’m all about fresh salads in the summer, but this would help me add in some protein!
Lauren says
I love roasted veggie and hummus wraps for lunch!! For my girls, they love snackish type foods, especially anything that can be dipped, and fruit!
Gcroft says
I got hooked on a simple chicken salad, jazzed up by melon, a dish I tried in the south of France years ago. A keeper.
Alicia Worner says
One of my go-to lunches is a turkey sandwich that includes avocado and veggies with sides of cottage cheese, raw carrots, and some type of fruit!
Alicia Worner says
One of my favorite lunches is a turkey sandwich that includes veggies and avocados along with cottage cheese, raw carrots, and some type of fruit!
Morgan S says
Those look delicious!! I would do homemade falafel and tzatziki with a cucumber salad. So refreshing!
Leah says
Having kids on a special diet means we pack a lot of lunches. These look like fun containers to try. I usually do bento boxes with protein like chicken, veggies, fruit and homemade muffin. You have some great ideas. I will have to switch things up for summer. I envision lots of snack type plates being packed up as we head to the pool or park.
Kaci Cheeseman says
I haven’t seen these nifty containers before! They look like they’d be really helpful 🙂
I love Mary’s crackers…the superseed are definitely the best! I keep meaning to try frown mango chunks as a snack. You’re the second blogger I’ve come across now to have recommend them.
Laura says
These look amazing! The healthy nachos would definitely be a hit in my house!
Katie says
My favorite healthy summer lunch is usually tuna fish with whole wheat crackers and a side of carrots with ranch!
Kenia P says
Egg salad is one of my favorite summer dishes.
Kelly T says
These containers look so nice for being on the go all summer! I would do some pita with turkey and cheese and some fruit!
laura says
Yum! I’d love to win! My favorite summer lunch is a big ol everything but the kitchen sink salad with a side of watermelons slices! Yum! Your lunches all sound delish and very balanced!
Lindsay at Hot Mess, Cool Day says
I love to take any leftovers I have (especially something with quinoa and/or ground turkey) and add a couple of over-medium eggs. It revives the less-than-exciting feeling of having last night’s dinner for lunch!
Beth says
My go to summer combo is salami cheese veggies and hummus! Kind of random but super filling and nutritious
Jasmine says
My combo would be yogurt parafait
Nancy says
I love the combo of ripe tomatoes, mozzarella and basil on baguette or flatbread.
lacey says
my favorite go to lunch is a slice of bread. just kidding (sometimes I’m not kidding though…)
lately we’ve been doing more meal planning so we’ve had more lunch options. i love dill chicken salad on wasa crackers, or quinoa salad.
Melissa says
I’m a nacho girl! Salsa, guac, cheese, jalapeño, black olives – the possibilities are endless!
Summer vacation starts here in 2 weeks and I could totally see how great these will be on day trips with my boys. Heck, they’d be great at home too!
Jen W. says
I’m loving your pizza pack. With the egg salad as first runner up. Thanks for another great giveaway!
Carole says
I have left over whenever I can but my favorite lunches are: chicken curry salad with crackers or wheat tortillas and fruits, beet hummus with veggies and thin pretzels, wheat toast with avocado and cottage cheese and kale-carrots-raisins-feta salad with homemade balsamic dressing. Unfortunately, with a 3 year old and a 1 year, I don’t always have time for fancy lunches but I always toast and avocado on hand! Thanks for sharing your lunches. It is nice to change things a bit sometime.
Starla says
So many great ideas and these would be perfect for meal prepping for school and work. I love a chicken breast that I have slow cooked in the crock pot with fajita seasoning, grilled onion and peppers with pico de gallo and salad!
Mandi says
I love all of these ideas!! The containers seem so handy. Egg salad a def go to for something quick
Maggie says
I’d love to make a taco plate! Awesome giveaway!
Brittany Kershaw says
This is genius! I make my kids “healthy” lunchables every day for summer camp, but I honestly never thought of making them for myself! I’d love to try this with crackers, hummus, bell pepper slices, and watermelon. Mmm….
Kristen says
Pizza pizza of course!
Wendy says
Thanks for the Cabot love! You’ve created some great combos… I’ll be trying some out!
Brittany Dixon says
Cabot is our fav around here! David can’t get enough of the habanero cheddar 🙂
Wendy says
Sure love hearing that! If you email me your shipping address, I’ll send you a some to cook and snack with! wscherer AT cabotcheese DOT coop
Julie says
I’d love to try your pesto pasta! Bet my boys would love it!
Tricia Nelson says
Genius idea! Love that it’s all portioned out for you! So easy to toss into your beach bag/tote. I love to cut up cheese in cubes and nuts, olives and tomatoes, crackers and grapes or strawberries. Like a cheese tray but it a convenient portion controlled box would be amazing!
Gitisha says
One of our fav summer meal is a homemade whole wheat spinach tortilla, and a veggie omelette. Kids love it eat it as a wrap or a roll. We make it meal adding nuts and fruits on the side.
Eileen says
I would try the kale pesto pasta!!! Looks so good! These containers are a great idea! I have 2 toddlers so lunch is usually just shoved in whenever I can. 🙄
Sarah says
I like a good snack plate with veggies, fruit, cheese, crackers or pretzels and a cold seltzer.
Jamie says
My favorite summer lunch is a salad topped with whatever leftovers are in the fridge & dressing to go with it.
Alison says
Those look awesome! For summer lunches I always love big composed salads. Of course those only happen when I take the time to prep on the weekend! No time for chopping veggies and other toppings at lunch time!
Jennifer says
My favorite summer lunch is a green salad with leftover grilled buffalo chicken with feta cheese, extra buffalo sauce and ranch dressing! Yum!
Heather K says
I really like a cold quinoa salad in the summer. Topped with a grilled chicken breast, yum!
Lacy says
We love taco salads all summer! You can pretty much put whatever you want in there – red peppers, corn, any leafy green variety, cucumber, watermelon, avocado, any kind of chips (when I ran out of tortilla chips, I just toasted up some taco shells and crunched them up in the salad!), cheese if you want, and then add salsa of any kind and voila – you have a well-balanced meal that is fun and summery!
Lindsay says
Tuna salad, Nut-Thins crackers, raw veggies & hummus!
Debbie says
Love all your ideas. I might keep it simple and do a turkey roll up with some raw veggies and fruit. Loving the Rubbermaid box.
Jennifer says
These lunches look so yummy. My favorite lunch is leftover grilled chicken with garden fresh tomatoes, red peppers, and roasted potatoes.
jodie flicek says
I would love this for summers on the go. My little guy and i are always out on the weekend and usually pack a lunch to eat wherever we are. I usually pack veggies with hummus, some sort of protein and a whole wheat cracker. Mom’s favorite summer lunch is full fat cottage cheese, sliced grape tomatoes and avocado over spinach. Basil is a plus!
Erin says
I love nachos of all kinds. Chips, guac, dip, mini peppers especially is a go to lunch combination.
Malerie says
That looks like so much fun!! I love the snack plate lunches. My go to is hummus with pita and peppers, cheese stick and fresh berries. Or of course you can’t go wrong with the classic turkey, provolone, spinach, Dijon sandwich!
Tiffiany Nicholas says
I could eat simple fresh fruits and veggies for every meal during our hot FL summers! The heat totally kills my appetite for anything savory and warm.
Thanks for sharing all these great meal ideas for the little babes. I love trying ten with my picky eater =)
Brenda says
My favorite summer meal is a Greek orzo salad!
Tori says
I love a pb&j with an apple on the side!
Elana says
pita, add to the pita red pepper hummus, chickpeas, diced red onion, feta and pine nuts
petite carrots (can dip in the hummus too)
Grace says
This container would be perfect…because I’m always lugging around all these different containers! Your lunches sound amazing & can’t wait try them all….especially the snack plate one! My go to summer lunch is very similar to your “make your own parfait”
Ashley C says
I love tuna over spinach!
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Chris says
Great ideas! I would love to try the egg salad scoopers. And also would like to upgrade from my old plastic containers to the one you had. Love all the variations!
Emily S says
We love ‘Snack Plate Lunches’ in the summer with lots of fresh veggies, fruit, cheese, and sliced deli meat.
DealinDiva says
My favorite summer snack is Jello powder and grapes frozen. Its so good!
Kelly D says
I like pasta salad with a side of fruit and yogurt.