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  3. Ultimate Back to School Meal Guide

Ultimate Back to School Meal Guide

By Food & Wine Updated July 31, 2017
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Chef Chronicles: Back-to-School Edition
We know you don't want to be reminded of this while it's still summer, but the new school year is right around the corner. Since the luxuries of free time and fresh summer produce will disappear, we are here to help you cook quickly and deliciously once your new schedule kicks in. We've got healthy breakfasts that beat a bowl of cold cereal and we've got weeknight dinners that you can whip up between after-school activities. Most importantly, we have a wide array of delicious, portable lunch recipes from epic sandwiches to fresh salads you can pack in a lunch box. And don't think we forgot about snacks. From make-ahead snacks to peanut-free snacks to our favorite store-bought selections, both you and your kids will be well fed between meals. You can dive head first into the new school year with no fear. We've got your back.
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Reinvented School Lunch Recipes

Barbecue Sloppy Joes
Credit: © Lucy Schaeffer
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Classic lunch favorites of old (think sloppy Joes, tater tots and chicken nuggets) are transformed into kid and adult-friendly meals in these easy, fun recipes. With one of these meals like a margherita tortilla pizza, everyone in class will want to swap lunch boxes. You'll just have to say "no.”

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11 Must-Have Back to School Lunch Boxes and Accessories

Lunch box
Credit: OlgaKriger / Getty Images
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Make anyone’s lunchtime extra-delightful by stashing snacks inside their favorite lunchbox. We're partial to the "Eureka Unicorn" from Skip Hop Baby Zoo, but the same insulated, water-resistant lunch bag also comes in bee, butterfly, cat, cow, dog, fox, frog, monkey, giraffe, and many many other animal iterations.

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Creative Lunch Box Recipes

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Get a little inspiration to kick up your school lunch game with these portable, fresh and delicious recipes, from fresh couscous and quinoa salads to inventive sandwiches (plus some decadent desserts to finish it off).

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A Plethora of Unique Sandwiches

Garlic Aioli BLT
Credit: © John Kernick
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Sandwiches are a lunchbox staple for a reason. They're portable, can cover most major food groups and are filling enough so that you're not hungry until the final bell rings. Whether you're looking for a healthy vegetarian option or a tried and true classic sandwich, these delicious recipes don't disappoint. Find everything from a hearty eggplant parm sub to a delicious BLT.

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20 Healthy Sandwich Options

Almond Butter and Fresh Blueberry Sandwich
Credit: © Todd Porter & Diane Cu
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When you’re starving in the middle of a school day, eating healthy isn’t the number one consideration. But don’t worry, we've got you covered. From salmon club sandwiches to grilled eggplant tortas, here are 20 healthy, but still delicious sandwiches.

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5 Kid-Friendly Wraps for School Lunches

Quick-and-Easy Rotisserie Chicken Burrito
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Shake up the usual sandwich routine with these five delicious wraps, from chicken, avocado and tomato wraps to grilled baby carrot wraps with poblano cream.

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Cuban Lunch Upgrades

Cuban Sandwich
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Cuban sandwiches are one of our favorites—it’s a big step up from the classic school-lunch ham and cheese. The traditional cubano mix of Cuban bread brushed with olive oil, yellow mustard, roast pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese and thinly sliced dill pickles is just the thing to shake up the lunch hour.

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8 Ham and Cheese Variations

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Here, our best variations of this classic sandwich, from ham and gruyère french toast sandwiches to buttermilk ham and cheese biscuits. You'll never go back to the original.

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5 Ways to Change Up the Boring Old Turkey Sandwich

Kentucky Hot Brown
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Turkey sandwiches are a school lunch mainstay. And whether you want to get rid of leftovers or need new lunch ideas, F&W’s guide to turkey sandwiches has a recipe for every occasion from smoked turkey and slaw on country toast to turkey sandwiches with cranberry-apricot relish.

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Healthy Breakfasts for School Mornings

Oatmeal with Strawberries, Toasted Walnuts, and Skyr
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Why resort to a bowl of cold cereal when you could make something healthier and more delicious in the same amount of time? From a sweet breakfast quinoa to a breakfast burrito with turkey bacon, here are quick, healthy breakfasts.

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Portable Back-to-School Breakfasts

7 Healthy, Portable Back-to-School Breakfasts
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This year, don't turn to the packaged toaster pastry when you're rushing out the door to school. Don’t settle for a stale bagel, either. You can make mornings so much more delicious and nutritious and it won't cost you much time. Here, seven easy and healthy breakfasts to make and take on the go.

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Breakfasts to Boost Brain Power

Mashed Banana & Whole-Grain Porridge
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You might not be able to help out with that calculus problem, but you can help boost your kid’s brainpower. These delicious breakfasts are packed with ingredients that are essential for memory, concentration and an overall healthier brain—from mashed banana and whole-grain porridge to white bean huevos rancheros.

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Fast and Easy Back-to-School Breakfasts

Fast and Easy Back-to-School Breakfasts
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Need help coaxing the kids out of bed? Try whipping one of these seven easy-to-make recipes sure to motivate anyone to get up early, from a broccoli frittata to amaranth breakfast porridge with cinnamon and sugar.

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9 No-Cook School Snacks

Peanut Butter-Oat Bites with Sea Salt and Cinnamon
Credit: Sarah Bolla
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Back-to-school is one of the busiest times of the year and cooking can be a tough task to fit in. Luckily, there's no need to turn the oven on for these fantastic snacks. From satisfying trail mix to amazing peanut butter cookies; here are nine no-cook snacks that are perfect for back-to-school lunches.

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Healthy Kids’ Snacks

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Whether you're looking to make your kids' recess a little healthier or need to kick after-school snacks up a notch, these recipes are all flavorful, kid-friendly, and, above all, very healthy. Make any of these snacks for your kids ahead of time so they can enjoy a healthful variety all week.

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DIY Snack Bars

Fruit and nut bars
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The snack bar is the ultimate portable nibble to bring to school, but the pre-packaged kinds aren't always delicious or good for you. With these creative recipes, you can make your own super tasty snack bars. From raspberry granola bars to cranberry-pumpkin seed energy bars, we've got the right bar for you.

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Peanut-Free Snacks for Back-to-School

Crispy Chickpeas
Credit: © Dave Lauridsen
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These days, many classrooms are peanut-free due to the high number of allergies. If you're looking for fast and easy peanut-free snacks for your kids to bring to school, F&W has a few incredible options. Munch on supercrispy chile-cheese yucca chips, a gooey broccoli cheese dunk, tomato salsa with cucumber "chips" and more.

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Make-Ahead Back-to-School Snacks

Popcorn
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We know you'll be busy once school is back in session, so the best way to get everything done is to make things ahead of time. Get ready for school lunches and after-school snack-time with these nine make-ahead recipes like baked sweet potato chips, maple-soy snack mix and banana muffins.

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Grown-Up Versions of Your Favorite After School Snacks

Tater tots
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After a hard day of spelling tests and times tables, we all looked forward to opening the pantry or fridge to dive into the snack we'd been dreaming about since lunch period. In retrospect, many of these go-to foods were terrible for us, but hey, you aced that state capitals test. You earned it. If you're yearning for the same satisfaction after a day of toiling away in your cubicle, here are some grown-up takes on your favorite childhood eats.

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The Best Back-to-School Snacks You Can Buy

The Best Back-to-School Snacks You Can Buy
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It’s great news that snack food has become so seasonal: It’s practically farm to pantry. Now that summer is behind us, so is the time to feast on summer's great selection of produce. It is, however, prime time for crunchy, tasty back-to-school snacks. And here are some terrific store-bought options.

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Healthy, Fast Weeknight Dinners Perfect for School Nights

Healthy, Fast Weeknight Dinners Perfect for School Nights
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Busy school weeks just got a little easier. Take the guesswork out of preparing weeknight dinners with these incredible recipes. From a healthier version of Chinese take-out staple General Tso's Chicken to poached salmon with cucumber raita, here are quick and healthy meals that will get you in and out of the kitchen.

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How to Go to Culinary School by Watching Netflix

chef martinez
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If you're inspired by back-to-school season, you don't need to enroll in classes to feed your desire to learn. From in-depth food documentaries to profiles of the world’s greatest chefs, Netflix can teach you how to prep, cook and better understand food. We've put together three levels of Netflix programming (basic, intermediate and advanced) that can serve as your basic culinary school education.

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Chef Chronicles: Back-to-School Edition

Chef Chronicles: Back-to-School Edition
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All this back-to-school talk is bringing back some serious memories. And not just for us. To keep the nostalgia going, we've collected five culinary school memories from five of our favorite chefs. Read on to learn why you should always keep yogurt on hand if you're slicing jalapeños.

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    View All

    1 of 23 Reinvented School Lunch Recipes
    2 of 23 11 Must-Have Back to School Lunch Boxes and Accessories
    3 of 23 Creative Lunch Box Recipes
    4 of 23 A Plethora of Unique Sandwiches
    5 of 23 20 Healthy Sandwich Options
    6 of 23 5 Kid-Friendly Wraps for School Lunches
    7 of 23 Cuban Lunch Upgrades
    8 of 23 8 Ham and Cheese Variations
    9 of 23 5 Ways to Change Up the Boring Old Turkey Sandwich
    10 of 23 Healthy Breakfasts for School Mornings
    11 of 23 Portable Back-to-School Breakfasts
    12 of 23 Breakfasts to Boost Brain Power
    13 of 23 Fast and Easy Back-to-School Breakfasts
    14 of 23 9 No-Cook School Snacks
    15 of 23 Healthy Kids’ Snacks
    16 of 23 DIY Snack Bars
    17 of 23 Peanut-Free Snacks for Back-to-School
    18 of 23 Make-Ahead Back-to-School Snacks
    19 of 23 Grown-Up Versions of Your Favorite After School Snacks
    20 of 23 The Best Back-to-School Snacks You Can Buy
    21 of 23 Healthy, Fast Weeknight Dinners Perfect for School Nights
    22 of 23 How to Go to Culinary School by Watching Netflix
    23 of 23 Chef Chronicles: Back-to-School Edition

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