6 Trader Joe’s lunch box heroes I always have on hand

Like many parents, I’m sure, I have a love-hate relationship with packing my kids’ lunches. I love making sure they’re fed with foods I know they’ll eat to fuel them for the rest of their school day, but I also find this type of mental labor pretty taxing. Constantly trying to remember if we have enough bread or bananas can quickly become a brain-zapping chore. One way I’ve found to make that load a little lighter, however, is by keeping a rotation of 6 nut-free, school-friendly pantry staples from Trader Joe’s on hand at all times. They take some of the guesswork out of what goes into those empty lunch boxes. I know that if we’re out of these, it’s time to fit a Trader Joe’s run into our weekend plans.

6 Trader Joe’s lunch box staples I stock up on

1. Organic roasted seaweed with sea salt

These crispy, slightly salted roasted seaweed snacks are a surefire win for packed-lunch days. My kids are partial to the teriyaki variety, but the sea salt version is equally tasty. It’s a savory snack they’ll gobble them up in an instant—and I love that they’re getting a dose of greens and trace minerals, like iodine. Buy two packs and they’ll last the full week for two kids. 

2. Soft and juicy mango

Slightly sweet and, true to its name, soft and juicy, dried mango is a must-have for packing lunches, if only to avoid opening the fridge at 6 a.m. and realizing someone has eaten ALL the grapes and apples in the house. We sometimes rotate between mango and the dried mandarin oranges—also delicious. 

3. Peel away fruit leather buttons

These feel like a treat akin to fruit snacks, but they’re made from whole fruit. I love including Trader Joe’s fruit leather or fruit buttons in my kids’ after-school snacks or as a treat in their lunch. 

4. World’s puffiest white cheddar corn puffs

This Pirate-Booty dupe makes for a great snack to have on hand–and the bag is huge, which means it lasts a while. My kids love that these white cheddar corn puffs are packed with extra cheesy flavor—and I like that they have a bit of protein and fiber, too. 

5. Pretzel slims

Thin and crispy and slightly salty, these pretzel slims are essentially a great vehicle for hummus, cheese slices or my son’s favorite Greek-yogurt spinach dip. I often fall back on packing these pretzels and something dippable and protein-packed to add a little heft to their lunches.

6. Mini (almost) everything bagel sandwich crackers

These are a new addition to our snack repertoire, but they’ve definitely got staying power. Of course, your kiddos already have to be a fan of the cult fave (and garlicky) Everything-But-The-Bagel seasoning to love these, but the addition of a cream-cheese filling in these mini bagel sandwich crackers is sure to please pickier palates. Not into everything bagels? The mini cheddar cheese sandwich crackers are a surefire hit, too.

A version of this story was originally published on Oct. 11, 2023. It has been updated.