Colorful Pasta Salad & Pizza Lunch
Made by Alicia
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This Colorful Pasta Salad & Pizza Lunch makes school lunch more exciting without adding a complicated morning routine. A kid-sized serving of colorful pasta salad and pizza is paired with crunchy cucumber, sugar snap peas, strawberries, blueberries, and half a homemade chocolate chip cookie for a lunch packed with different flavors and textures.
Assembly Time: 10 Minutes | Uses Prepped Foods | Makes 1 Lunch
Estimated Nutrition Per Serving
Protein: ~20g
Carbs: ~69g
Fat: ~23g
Fiber: ~6g
Nutrition is estimated from the standardized child-sized portions. Actual nutrition will vary depending on the pasta, cheese, pepperoni, pizza, cookie recipe, produce, and exact portions used.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup cooked pasta (cooled)
- 2 tbsp cheese (cubed)
- 2 cherry tomatoes (quartered)
- 4-5 mini pepperoni slices (quartered if needed)
- 1 tbsp black olives (sliced)
- 1 small slice pizza
- 1/4 cup cucumber (sliced)
- 1/4 cup sugar snap peas
- 1/4 cup strawberries (sliced)
- 2 tbsp blueberries
- 1/2 chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients are subject to availability at local stores. Unavailable items will be automatically substituted at best-effort.
Directions
- Place the cooled cooked pasta in a small bowl.
- Add the cubed cheese, quartered cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, and sliced black olives. Toss gently until the ingredients are distributed throughout the pasta.
- Place a child-sized serving of the pasta salad in the lunch container.
- Add one small slice of pizza alongside the pasta salad.
- Add the sliced cucumber and sugar snap peas.
- Add the sliced strawberries and blueberries to the lunch.
- Finish with half of one homemade chocolate chip cookie.
- Seal the lunch and refrigerate until ready to pack. Keep chilled with an ice pack until lunchtime.
Lunch Box Tips
Prep Ahead: Cook and cool the pasta ahead of time so the pasta salad can be quickly mixed and packed on a busy school morning.
Use Leftover Pizza: A small slice of leftover family pizza makes this lunch especially easy and helps turn dinner leftovers into the next day’s school lunch.
Keep the Pasta Simple: Cubed cheese, cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, and sliced black olives add plenty of color and texture without requiring a complicated pasta salad recipe.
Prep the Produce Early: Wash and dry the cucumber, snap peas, strawberries, and blueberries ahead of time to reduce morning prep.
Make It Easier to Eat: Quarter the cherry tomatoes and cut the other ingredients into pieces appropriate for your child’s age and eating abilities.
Save Room for Something Sweet: Half of a homemade chocolate chip cookie adds a small treat without requiring a full-size dessert.
Pack It Safely: Keep the pasta salad, pizza, cheese, pepperoni, and cut produce refrigerated until packing, then use an ice pack to keep the lunch chilled until lunchtime.
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