Whether it's sending the kids off to school, helping the spouse out the door in the morning, trying to leave before traffic gets too bad, or just wanting to cut back on spending- lunches and snacks to take from home for school or work can be a great option to always eating out during the day while you're away from home.

I recently came across Hillbilly Housewife, where they share all kinds of fresh ideas for ways to keep from getting in the "sandwich, chips, and juicebox" rut that many can fall in to!

For the main entree of a lunch box, they suggest choosing from one of the following:
Tuna Salad with Celery
Egg Salad with Pickles
Chicken Salad with Raisins
Turkey Salad with Curry Powder
Baloney & Cheese & Mustard & Mayo
Turkey and Cranberry sauce
Fried Spam & Cheese
Fried Canned Corned Beef & Sauerkraut
Meatballs in a hotdog bun with tomato sauce
Meat Loaf with Tomato Slices
Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato
Bacon and Fried Eggs
Fried Baloney or Spam & Fried Eggs
Sloppy Joes
Turkey & Bacon and bean sprouts
Sliced Cucumbers & Butter
Sliced Cucumbers & Cream Cheese
Cream Cheese & Jelly
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Fluff
Peanut Butter & Raisins
Sausage & Egg Biscuit
Egg & Cheese Sandwich
Pork Roast & BBQ Sauce & coleslaw
Sliced Beef Roast & horseradish
Sliced Beef and Swiss Cheese
Sliced Beef & Cream Cheese
Sliced Beef & fried onions or mushrooms
Loose fried hamburger & onions & cheese
Burritos with beef or beans & cheese
Tacos
Quesadilla (fried cheese tortillas)
Baloney, mayonnaise & Pineapple Rings
Cream Cheese & minced peppers
Baked beans with pickle relish
Hamburgers with fixings
Corn Dogs
Hot Dogs with Chili
Hot Dogs with Cheese
Hot Dogs with Coleslaw
Chopped Chicken & BBQ Sauce
Ham Salad with Pickles
Fajitas with Beef or Chicken
Baloney, Mustard & Sprouts, wrapped in a tortilla

If you've got a thermos on hand, you can also try out any of these:
Baked Beans & Sliced Hotdogs
1/2 cup Hot Rice with 1/2 cup Beef & Broccoli overtop
Mashed potatoes with creamed chicken or turkey & gravy
Tuna Casserole
Chicken & Rice Casserole
Beef & Tomato Casserole
Canned Soups
Chowders
Creamed Soups
Hot Pinto Beans & Salt Pork or Bacon
Chili with beans
Spaghetti and Sauce
Chopped up Lasagna
Scalloped Potatoes or Potatoes Au Gratin
Macaroni & Cheese
Lentils & Rice
Beef Stew
Hamburger Gravy to spoon over bread
Sausage Gravy to spoon over biscuits
Creamed Ham to spoon over biscuits
Mashed Potatoes with Cheese
Ramen Noodles & Veggies

Great options for the classic Ziploc baggie can include these:
Apple Wedges
Orange Smiles
Cluster of Grapes
Small Banana
Carrot Sticks
Celery Sticks
Broccoli Trees
Turnip Sticks
Radishes
Boiled Eggs
Green Pepper Strips
Cucumber Slices
Cheese Cubes
Peanut Butter Crackers
Crackers & Baloney Triangles
Crackers & Cheese Slices
Crackers & Cream Cheese
Pretzels
Popcorn
Caramel Corn
Raisins
Dry Apricots
Prunes
Banana Chips
Peanuts
Sunflower Seeds
Cheese Crackers
Celery stuffed with Peanut Butter
Celery stuffed with Cream Cheese
Granola
Gorp
Homemade Cereal Snack Mix (like chex mix)

And finally, to add some variety to your drink selection during the day, choose from one of these:
Reconstituted Milk
Chocolate Milk
Hot Chocolate
Hot Coffee or Tea
Kool-Aid
Iced Tea
Ice Water
Fruit Smoothies
Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Grape Juice
Lemonade

You can view the original post for "Lunchbox food" here!

Also, in the next few days, check out our Sassy Chefs store for some great options for a thermos!

Enjoy!