Ham and Cheese Mini Quiches

Are you looking for a healthy school lunch idea? These ham and cheese mini quiches are ideal for a simple school lunch!

If there is one thing parents want to know, is how can they add variety and make a healthy lunchbox! I often explain that a healthy lunchbox begins with high quality ingredients.

Related: Top 5 Lunchboxes We’ve Tested

Imagine not being afraid of flipping the package over and finding unidentifiable ingredients. Selecting foods that you can feel good about packing in the lunchbox and making family meals?

I know we can’t all purchase organic foods all the time, but I want to encourage you to cut corners elsewhere, not in the quality of food. When you look at the big picture, school lunches make up roughly 30% of the food our children eat, they deserve real food.

I love making these mini quiches because I can bake them the night before and store the filled lunch containers inside the refrigerator.

Here are some easy swaps to make school lunches healthier:

• Upgrade your proteins. What would a school lunch be without our beloved ham and turkey to fill our sandwiches? Even in these mini quiches I use Applegate ham. I love it because it has no fillers and it’s nitrate-free.
• Ditch the juice box and send water. Ok, I know sometimes kids want juice so in this case I fill a reusable bottle with ice and water and add a splash or two of juice. I personally like Honest Kids juice because it already has a lot less sugar than regular juice and no fake ingredients.
• Add veggies to every lunchbox.  I have a son who refuses to eat veggies cold. I still put one or two carrots in his lunchbox. Maybe one day he will decide to take a bite. This very thing happened with his sister with broccoli. Ranch dressing can work wonders! On that note, if you are not making your own, look for brands with no artificial flavors, colors, synthetic preservatives, or msg.I send ranch dressing in a small leak-proof lidded container inside the lunchbox. Her favorite is Annie’s Naturals Cowgirl Ranch (I think she secretly wants to wear her cowgirl boots to school and not her uniform shoes). Swapping out unnatural salad dressings for one with higher quality is easy!
• Always send fruit. From grapes, berries, or apple slices to making your own fruit cups. Whatever you choose, fresh fruit is best. Check out how I prep my berries so they last longer and apples from turning brown as fast.
• Swap your paper lunch bag for re-usable Tupperware! Compartments are an easy way to separate your food and add more variety!
• Buy wholesome breads. Whether you purchase regular bread or gluten free, look for breads that are free of artificial ingredients, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and GMOs (especially gluten-free breads since many are corn based).Bread, being a staple of many kids’ diet often tends to be overlooked. However, I encourage you to select breads with a higher fiber content and lower sugar. We mostly buy gluten-free bread in our house so I purchase Rudi’s Bakery Gluten-Free bread (again Non-GMO). Swapping out white bread for whole-wheat is easy when you find a brand (like Rudi’s for us) that your kids love.

I want to encourage you to purchase the best ingredients available the fit your budget. Better ingredients mean happier lunchboxes all around.

Check out how easy these mini quiches are to make! For the recipe, click here.

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