St. Patrick’s Day Lunchboxes

What comes to mind when you think of St. Patrick's Day? I asked my daughters this question to help me stew up some festive ideas for the upcoming holiday. Green was at the top of the list, followed by rainbows, leprechauns, pots of gold and clovers. With their ideas in mind, I set out to create some magical St. Patrick's Day lunch ideas. By sending the kiddos to school with these lunches, I feel like I’m celebrating the holiday with them, even when they’re not at home! 

Follow a Fruity Cheerios® rainbow bagel to a pot of gold! To make this fun lunch, start with half a bagel smeared with cream cheese. Place Fruity Cheerios® on top to create a scrumptious rainbow sandwich. Round it off with some golden-wrapped chocolate treats, a mini LÄRABAR, some fresh veggies and a container of dip!

Betty Crocker's Dijon Chicken and Pasta Salad is a family favorite, so much so that I've learned to make a double batch so we have enough leftovers for easy lunches the next day. To add a little luck of the Irish to this lunchbox, I made a cheese shamrock using a cookie cutter. To keep the green theme going, I included some leftover Spinach Quiche Bites alongside the pasta salad and apple slices. 

Show off a little Irish spirit with this these green, white and orange Irish flag roll-ups. Using a green tortilla, I rolled up turkey, cheddar cheese and some mayonnaise, to create the flag of Ireland in roll-up form. To secure the rolls, I used some St. Pat’s-themed food picks alternating orange cherry tomatoes with the rolls. In the side compartments? More green in the form of a mini LÄRABAR, fresh broccoli florets and a little container of dip.

Sneak a little leprechaun into your little’s lunch. To make this mischievous cutie, start with a cheese quesadilla, cut into an oval shape. Top with two candy eyes, add some carrot-ribbon curls, bell pepper hat and finish off with a smile drawn on with food coloring. In the side compartments of my Sistema's Lunch Cube to Go I packed fresh bell pepper slices, cauliflower and a handful of Lucky Charms® for dessert.

A St. Patrick's day rainbow made of fruit is sure to bring lunch-hour smiles. Along with these easy fruit kabobs (packed in my favorite Sistema's Lunch Cube to Go), I filled some hard-boiled egg whites with guacamole and topped them with two cheese “shamrocks.” Rounding out the meal is a delicious Cascadian Farm Chewy Protein Granola bar, great as a dessert or as a snack for later.