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These bite-sized zucchini fritters are unbelievably easy to make and a great way to sneak more veggies into the lunchbox. Below, I’ll show how to prep this lunch ahead and pack everything, so the fritters are golden and delicious.
Easy Zucchini Fritters for the Lunchbox
The crispy texture and cheesy flavor of these zucchini fritters make them an option the kids will appreciate. Pack them with a dipping sauce like Ranch dressing or marinara, and you can expect those lunchboxes to come back empty!
While this lunch is served with a fresh tomato salad, you can make it more satiating by adding protein-rich snacks like hard-boiled eggs, rolled deli turkey, and Greek yogurt.
Looking for more delicious, non-sandwich lunch ideas like this one? This guide has a lot more for you to try!
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What’s in Zucchini Fritters
Here’s what you’ll need to make a batch of these cheesy zucchini fritters:
- Zucchini: a simple veggie that takes on the flavor of anything!
- Seasonings: salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Egg: to bind the fritter batter.
- Flour: use regular or 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Cheese: grated Parmesan cheese is perfect!
- Oil: tossed with the tomato salad and used to lightly fry the fritters.
- Tomatoes: tossed with a little oil, salt, and black pepper for an easy lunchbox side.
How to Pack Zucchini Fritters for Lunch
In the printable recipe card, you’ll find the steps to make these zucchini fritters, but first, check out these tips for packing them properly so they remain intact in the lunchbox:
- Allow to cool down
Once the fritters are finished cooking, allow them to cool down to room temperature before packing them into a compartmentalized lunch container. This step will prevent steam from building up in the container and causing the fritters to get soggy. - Pack sides separately
The tomato salad and any additional wet ingredients like veggies, fruit, and sauce will need to be packed into a separate compartment, so the fritters don’t absorb excess moisture. - Pack the sauce
You can use these mini sauce containers to pack the sauces. They are leak-proof and easy to toss into a lunch bag with the rest of the containers.
Keeping it Fresh for School Lunch
These extra tips will help you to build a terrific school lunch that remain fresh for hours:
Use a hard container
Using a sturdy container is my pro-tip for keeping lunches intact. If you pack these zucchini fritters in a zip bag, they can easily be squished in the lunch bag!
Make them ahead
You can assemble the batter and cook the fritters up to 3 days ahead. Once cooked, allow them to cool down before refrigerating in a paper towel-lined airtight container. The morning of, reheat them in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat for 1 minute on each side before packing away. Easy peasy!
Add protein
Round out this lunchbox with high protein sides like hard-boiled eggs, a yogurt parfait with Greek yogurt, or even these homemade peanut butter snack bars.
More Healthy Lunch Ideas with Veggies
Adding more veggies to your kids lunchboxes is easier when you have recipes like zucchini pizza bites, broccoli nuggets, veggie egg bites, or this turkey and veggie hummus wrap.
These cheesy cauliflower bites, broccoli tater tots, and this bell pepper nachos lunch are also kid-favorite meals packed with flavor and nutrition. Woohoo!
Zucchini Fritters for the Lunchbox
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds zucchini, grated (about 3 medium)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, or favorite all-purpose seasoning
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Oil, for frying
- 1- pint of cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt & pepper , to taste
Instructions
Prep the zucchini:
- Place the shredded zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt, and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the zucchini to a clean kitchen towel and ring out the excess moisture.
Make the batter:
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and Italian seasoning until combined. Add the grated zucchini, flour, and Parmesan cheese, and stir to form a cohesive batter.
Cook:
- In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add tablespoon-sized mounds of the zucchini mixture, flatten the mound with a spatula, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip over each zucchini fritter and cook an additional 2 minutes until golden brown.
- Transfer the cooked fritters to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining fritter mixture.
Make the tomato salad:
- Place the cherry tomatoes in a small bowl, and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
For a packed lunch:
- To pack for lunch, place 3-4 zucchini fritters in a compartmentalized lunch container, and fill the empty compartments with a portion of the tomato salad and your choice of snack.
- Close the lunch container and pack it into a lunch bag with an ice pack.
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