School mornings can be hectic. One way to make them easier is with go-to lunches you can make on the fly. Keep these ideas in your back pocket to make mornings go smoothly.

With the school year rolling ahead and schedules no doubt getting tighter, planning school lunches might be the last thing on your mind. Thankfully, there are many lunches you can make with a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time. Just stock your pantry and refrigerator with the basics, and you’ll always be ready to whip up one of these tasty and nutritious meals.

Turkey and Veggie Pinwheels

Everyone loves a pinwheel. These tasty mini wraps are a staple at brunches because they are so easy to transport and serve. There’s no reason why they can’t make a great school lunch, too. All you need is a large tortilla, deli turkey meat, spinach, shredded carrots for some crunch, and cream cheese. You can even swap the cream cheese out for hummus for some extra flavour. Wrap it all up and slice it into rounds to make the pinwheels!

Sweet Ham and Cheese Croissant

An upgrade on the classic ham and cheese sandwich, a ham and cheese croissant is easy to make and even easier to eat. An extra hint of sweetness makes it even more appealing to kids. Just slice a large croissant in half, spread some honey mustard on each side, and load it up with slices of Swiss cheese and honey-baked deli ham.

Egg Salad Sandwich

The egg salad sandwich is a classic, and it’s packed with nutrients as well. You may need to make the egg salad the night before but, in the morning, you’ll be able to put together sandwiches for everyone heading out the door in a flash. The trick to keeping the bread from getting soggy is to layer some lettuce on each side and load up the egg salad in between.

Chicken Salad

Whenever you have leftover chicken in the fridge, whip up some chicken salad that you can then serve with a variety of other ingredients. A basic chicken salad just requires some mayonnaise, celery, green onion, and your choice of additional garnishes. Then, you can put the chicken salad in a sandwich or a wrap, or just serve it up as a side with some whole sliced veggies.

Couscous

Couscous is an incredibly versatile pasta that you can serve with just about anything, and you can find whole wheat versions with a great nutritional profile as well. Another benefit is that it cooks up in a jiffy. Follow the package instructions while you prepare the other ingredients you want to toss in, like any leftover protein. For a basic couscous salad, just chop up some vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber, and onion, and mix it all together with a bit of olive oil.

Give yourself an edge on school mornings by ensuring that you don’t have to scramble for lunch. Keep the right ingredients in stock, and there will always be something quick, simple, and healthy you can make.