Simple, From Scratch Lunch Ideas

When I first started my “from scratch” cooking journey the hardest meal for me was lunch. I have rounded up my favorite from scratch lunch ideas and I’m sharing those today.

Chicken nuggets, mac n cheese, frozen pizza, and hot pockets. They sure make a quick lunch, but they are FULL of nasty ingredients that I don’t have in my pantry. I set out to replace those nasty ingredients, and start making everything in my own kitchen. The problem was, I had no idea what to feed the hungry children who live here. If you’re in the same boat I’ve got good news for you. Today I am sharing some of my favorite from scratch lunch ideas.

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Like everything, I am convinced that food shouldn’t be complicated. It should be nourishing, and filling, but never complicated. I appreciate the effort that goes into a gourmet meal, but, honestly, I’m not there in this season. I don’t have, and I don’t want to spend, hours in the kitchen. The things I am sharing today are quick, healthy, and filling, but certainly not complicated.

One of the best things about any of these from scratch lunch ideas is that they can double as a supper in a dash. If we’ve had a particularly busy day, tortilla pizzas save the day…and who doesn’t love a good homemade chicken nugget? Pair it with a vegetable, and you’ve got a respectable meal.

From Scratch Lunch Ideas

Quinoa Muffins – these are super delicious, and my children gobble them up! They’re similar to a mac n cheese bake.
Pizzadillas – these are always a hit!
Taco Salad – Always a favorite. I usually make this for lunch the day after we have tacos, and simply reheat the taco meat from the night before. If you have trouble getting your little ones to eat lettuce, tacos are a good stand in for taco salad. 😉
Tortilla Pizza – Very similar to a pizzadilla, but not folded. Still a hit, and especially easy if I make extra tortilla shells sometime before.
Mini-meatloaves – These freeze well, so make a double batch! I also love you can hide a few vegetables in them, and no one is the wiser.
Quesadillas – I use leftover chicken, a little cumin, and cheese. The kids devour them.
Homemade Pizza – I plan to share a yeast pizza crust recipe soon, but there are tons online already.
Homemade Mac ‘N Cheese – I usually add a little protein like cooked chicken to a pot of mac n cheese to make it a little more filling.
Homemade Chicken Nuggets – SO GOOD! trust me, make a double batch! Once you’ve eaten homemade chicken nuggets, you’ll quickly realize how fake the frozen ones are.
Jam Sandwiches – So simple, but so much better than the store-bought version. I usually add a little nut butter to these, but if your kids are school, you’ll want to make sure of their policy on nuts first.

All of these simple lunch ideas I’ve shared are from two sources. These two sources are the ones that helped me the most when I was learning how to replace the food in our pantry with homemade goodness. The first is the Gracious Pantry, and the second is 100 Days of Real Food. I definitely encourage you to take some time and explore the recipes on their websites. They were so helpful to me!

Maybe you don’t love to cook, and you’re wondering how you’ll overcome that to make your family’s meals from scratch. Recently I shared how, despite not loving to cook, I still manage to make mostly everything from scratch. You can read that here: How To Cook More Meals From Scratch (Even when you don’t like to cook!)

I don’t have many cookbooks, but I did purchase the 100 Days of Real Food cookbook. It is packed with so many great recipes. It has loads of pantry staples like barbecue sauce, and yummy sweets like cinnamon glazed popcorn, and so much more!

Wherever you are in your from scratch journey, I hope that these simple from scratch lunch ideas were helpful for you.

As always, thanks for spending a tiny part of your day with me.