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Learn how to pack this lunch salad ahead and the tips to keep it fresh in the lunch box for hours!
Tomato and Avocado Salad for Teen School Lunch
This tomato and avocado salad couldn’t be any easier or tastier! We are talking juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, fresh lettuce, and crunchy onion drizzled with a delicious dressing. It’s a terrific side your teen will want to find next to their sandwich!
And that’s just one tasty way to enjoy this salad. Another epic school lunch idea is turning this salad into a complete meal by adding leftover pan-seared or baked chicken or crispy chicken strips, as I do in this mouth-watering Chicken Strip Salad.
My favorite part: no morning rush! This Tomato Avocado Salad can be entirely assembled the night before, right after dinner. Just cut up the avocados in the morning. A little browning will happen but that’s normal!
What you need
Boring salads? Forget about them! This epic salad is made with the most delicious ingredients, those you always have around in the kitchen:
- Chopped lettuce: the base of this salad. Use Romaine or any other lettuce you have around.
- Grape tomatoes: or cherry tomatoes. Juicy and delicious!
- Red onions: optional for extra flavor and texture.
- Avocado: creamy, nutritious, and delicious!
- Dressing: a simple white wine vinaigrette, a citrus vinaigrette, or a creamy Ranch; you can add your favorite!
How to Pack Tomato and Avocado Salad for School
This tomato and avocado salad is so easy to pack that your teens can easily assemble it from start to finish. Follow these steps and you’ll have a delicious side to pair with anything:
- Make a green base
You start creating a green base, placing chopped lettuce inside a lunch container. - Make the salad
Now you top lettuce with tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions (if using) and diced avocado. If you’re packing this salad the night before, dice up the avocado in the morning. - Pack the dressing
You pack the dressing in a small lidded container, separated from the salad, to prevent the lettuce from getting soggy. You’ll drizzle it right before eating. - Store
Refrigerate the salad or pack it with an ice pack inside a lunch bag.
More tips for packing this salad for lunch
Follow these tips for packing this tomato avocado salad in the lunchbox and it will be a hit every time:
Pack the dressing separately
If you drizzle the dressing when packing the salad, the lettuce will get soggy. To avoid this, pack the dressing in a small lidded container and add it to the salad once you’re about to enjoy it.
Keep avocado from browning
While you can’t keep the avocado from browning, cutting it up right before packing this lunch -not the night before- will make it remain as green as possible by lunchtime. A little browning is normal! You can also squeeze a little lime to slow down the browning process.
Keep it chilled
Pack this tomato avocado salad inside an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack to keep the temperature inside the bag cool. Here you can check my teen-approved lunchbox picks.
Make it a meal
This salad makes an awesome side dish you can pack with chicken leftovers, a sandwich, a wrap, lunchables pizza, or egg cups! Add a healthy dessert or your kid’s favorite snacks, and the lunchbox will return home empty! You can also bulk up this salad by adding deli meat!
Tomato Avocado Salad for Teens
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
- ½ cup grape tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons sliced red onions, optional
- ¼ avocado, diced
- 2 tablespoons dressing, your favorite
Instructions
- Make a green salad base inside a container with the chopped Romaine lettuce. Top with grape tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions (if using) and diced avocado. If packing this the night before, dice up the avocado in the morning.
- Fill a small lidded container with the dressing and wait to drizzle it over the salad at lunch. This prevents the lettuce from getting soggy.
- Refrigerate the salad or pack it with an ice pack inside a lunch bag.
Natalie says
This recipe is easy to sub for other favorites like bacon bits and other veggies! Laura takes the guesswork out of lunches
Holly says
My teens (and I) LOVED this tomato avocado salad! We added ranch dressing and it was the bomb!
Andy says
I packed this lunch for my tween who wanted a “lunch like mom” and I can say it was a hit (minus the avocadoes bc she doesn’t like them)
Dora says
My teens love this salad, they eat it as a side for EVERYTHING! Thanks!
Kristi says
My teens love this salad, they eat it as a side for EVERYTHING. Thanks!
Natalia says
Yum! I made this tomato avocado salad for my thirteen year old and he loved it! Fresh and simple!