Trader Joe's 6 best items for easy school lunches

Imported from Parma, Italy, Trader Joe's Uncured Salame is pre-sliced and perfect in sandwiches, salads or miniature charcuterie boards. Per user u/eveningtrain, the salami pairs well with cheese — like individual Brie bites — and crackers, like Trader Joe's creamy tomato soup-seasoned crackers, to make a homemade rendition of classic Lunchables.

 
"I also often include a few olives (pitted to not annoy myself with stuff to throw away while on lunch) and small dill pickles, but I recommend putting them into a bowl lined with paper towel to dry them off when packing lunch because the brine does get on other things (I usually pack them next to meat which tastes good if it gets a little brine)," u/eveningtrain continued.

 

They also recommend adding dried fruits, such as pure mango, dried cherries or dried tangerines, or fresh berries to the mix for added sweetness.

These personal-sized yogurt cups can be enjoyed on their own or as a parfait topped with fresh fruit, granola, cinnamon and a drizzle of honey. They can also be enjoyed alongside cereal or snack bars, like Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate, Nuts and Sea Salt Bar.

 

For a complete meal, user u/Smile_Anyway_9988 suggests packing the yogurt cups with pinwheel sandwiches — which include rolled & cut spinach tortilla stuffed with lunch meat, cheese and a thin layer of mayo or pesto sauce — and cut up veggies.

  
In addition to the raspberry and Meyer lemon flavors, the yogurt cups are available in both strawberry and banana cream flavors. 

A satisfying alternative to peanut butter — and other nut butters that may be banned from school cafeterias — sunflower seed butter is the perfect spread to include in both sweet and savory sandwiches. 

 

User u/Nhadalie recommends making sunflower seed sandwiches with chopped bananas, cinnamon and honey. Similarly, u/ronnysmom suggests spreading the butter on sprouted bread and pairing it with a cup of yogurt and cut up Persian cucumbers, strawberries and mandarin oranges.

 

"This was [a] daily lunch for my son for years and years," they added. "[His school was] a non-peanut facility but once I explained that this was Sunflower seed butter, not only did they OK it, their director went and bought Sunflower Seed butter from TJ's and added it to the school's snack offerings!"

Trader Joe's Garlic Flatbread, akin to Garlic naan, pairs well with frozen curries — like TJ's cult-favorite Paneer Tikka Masala with Spinach Basmati Rice. It can also be used as a base for individual pizzas, adorned with cheese, sauce, onions, veggies and other toppings of your choice!

 

Another great way to enjoy TJ's flatbread is to make them into naan crackers. Simply slice the flatbread into small squares, lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush the breads with olive oil and bake them in the oven for approximately 15 minutes. The crackers can then be paired with cheese, olives and the ever-popular Trader Joe's variety of champagne grapes.  

Speaking of champagne grapes, these small & seedless grape varieties are a must-have in school lunches! The grapes can be added into salads, like a Greek-inspired grape and feta salad. Simply whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper in one large mixing bowl. Then add in the grapes, mixed greens and halved cherry tomatoes and finish it off with a spoonful of crumbled feta.

 

Champagne grapes are also great in cheese and charcuterie boards or with a medley of fresh berries. They can also be eaten on their own or with a generous sprinkle of sugar!

Frozen foods, like Trader Joe's Cheese & Green Chile Tamales, are a quick & easy meal option for school lunches. Many Redditors recommend the tamales because they are tasty, filling and incredibly easy to prepare — just pop them in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes, then pop them in your lunchbox and you're all set.

 

According to TJ's, the tamales are "an easily portable food…fit for the gods" because they are so darn tasty! Each tamale contains Monterey Jack cheese, spicy green chiles, and red chile purée, all stuffed inside corn masa and hand-wrapped in corn husks."