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Turkey Pinwheels
Easy to make Turkey Pinwheels have great flavor and are a fun (but still simple) alternative to a traditional sandwich! Plus the perfect grapes for getting kids to eat healthy.
School is about to start and I am trying to brainstorm all things lunches.
Having 4 kiddos now in school has been awesome in some ways but hard too when it comes to lunches.
I need quick and easy meals that will satisfy, fill their bellies and be relatively healthy. Simple and delicious is what I am looking for!
These turkey pinwheels are so nice and easy to have on hand. Not only do the kids love them but I do too.
They are light and tasty but also filling and delicious. Vegetables and fruit to go with them, is an added bonus.
Kids lunches are a struggle at time but here are a few ideas to help keep your kids loving homemade lunches: Kids Build Their Own Organic Lunch Routine, Back to School Lunches, 16 Lunchbox Ideas or Pasta Salad Lunch Box Ideas (Nut Free).
Back to School lunch
I just got back from a nice long summer vacation, actually just over 30 days on the road, and while I will be sharing a lot about that trip in the upcoming weeks, with some fun recipes and photos from the places I visited, today I want to talk about Back-to-School!
The hardest part of Back-to-School for me is lunches!
Honestly, it might be the only hard part. I admire teachers so much!
Each year, as summer draws to a close I quietly celebrate having a few hours of sanity back in my life.
Thank you teachers for all you do. I probably shouldn’t be complaining about having to worry about my kid’s lunches when teachers are worrying about so many kids and so many things.
But complain I shall… you guys, my kids want home lunch, EVERY. DAY. and they get really sick of sandwiches, fast!
Trust me.
When I say I spend a lot of time browsing Pinterest for ideas for keeping their bellies full and their bodies relatively healthy, while avoiding complaints and wasted food, it is not just an excuse to browse Pinterest.
Kids Lunch Dilemma
The struggle is real people. I hate the whole lunch thing. Please tell me I am not alone.
And then there is the issue of my picky eater now going to school ALL day.
Trust me, a big part of me is rejoicing, but another part of me is in panic mode. What will he eat?
I can barely keep the child fed at home when we have access to the whole pantry and larder (do people even have larders any more?).
Anyway, I was at Walmart picking up some produce to go with lunch, and I saw some unexpected, but very pleasant faces in the produce aisle!
The grapes had ELSA and ANNA on them from FROZEN.
How cool is that? Sometimes all you need to get a picky eater to try something new is using something they are already familiar with and love to help promote it.
Disney is doing just that with produce, and so I of course had to buy a package, and used it when creating a few simple lunch ideas for back to school.
We tested them out this week, and they were a real hit.
I did not raise very good sandwich eaters.
My kids are kind of grazers, and so they do much better with a few smaller options, and a wider variety than a big sandwich and a side.
So with the help of Pinterest and Walmart’s produce section, I came up with a few fun lunches my kids will happily eat.
Turkey Pinwheel
The first of these options is the turkey pinwheel.
It is basically a turkey sandwich, but rolled up in a tortilla, sliced, and held together with a toothpick to make it fun and easy.
I can make one using a burrito size tortilla and it is enough for all 3 kids lunches, and takes no more time than a sandwich would.
How you make a turkey pinwheel:
- Mix cream cheese spread ingredients together and spread using a spatula over the entire surface of the two tortillas.
- Layer on turkey, cheese, and lettuce (as well as anything you want to add in such as cucumbers).
- Roll the tortilla up into a tight log, and place toothpicks down the center in about 1 inch intervals.
- Cut: Using a sharp knife cut between each toothpick.
More variations
So what does your kid like? Can you make it into a fun and easy pinwheel?
Then just add the awesome FROZEN grapes, some vegetables and other kid’s favorite snacks and you have a great, easy to make lunch.
- Chicken Taco Pinwheels
- Spinach artichoke
- Pesto and Turkey
- Buffalo Chicken
- Italian Pinwheels
- Greek Salad Pinwheels
- Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels
The Lunch-able choice
Another great option is kind of the do-it-yourself “lunch-able”. Which is basically crackers, cheese, and your favorite meat.
My kids love pepperoni, so this is a super easy lunch idea, and again, pairs really well with the fresh grapes from Walmart, some vegetables, or your child’s favorite sides.
More Variations
- Nacho and cheese with jalapeños or guacamole
- Flatbread, marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese
- Crackers, sliced cheese and sliced meat
- Chips, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese
Nacho Lunch
And our third option is nachos. My kids LOVE nachos, and they are really easy to customize.
For my oldest son I will add a little container of jalapeños, some diced tomatoes, and some sour cream in addition to the cheese sauce and sides.
For my younger, pickier eater, just the chips and cheese. Which by itself is not exactly a healthy lunch.
But when I add in the FROZEN grapes, and some cut carrots, cucumbers, or celery sticks, it gets a bit healthier.
By the way, you can buy the individual nacho cheese sauces at Walmart when you are there picking up your grapes!
Fruits, Vegetables and Extra Ideas:
Having a good balance of fruits and vegetables is key. There needs to always be a variety.
Fruit:
- Berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
- Oranges
- Apple
- Banana
Vegetables:
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Olives: black or green
- Avocado
- Tomato Slices
- Bell Pepper Slices
- Celery
Extra:
- Hummus
- Gogurt
- Applesauce
- Cheese
More lunch ideas:
A few other ideas I will probably try this year include pasta salads, maybe even with chicken, chicken salad with crackers or croissants, yogurt parfaits with various fresh fruits and granola, salad cups, fruit cups, wraps, pita pockets, cold fried chicken, baked potato with toppings, and anything else I can come up with or find while browsing.
These 3 ideas will be our starting point, and we will build from there. And really, no matter what main dish we start with, chances are it will be accompanied by some fruits and veggies.
We love grapes and are so excited about Disney putting some friendly faces in the produce aisle!
Which fruit or vegetable would you like to see Disney help market next?
What other fun ideas do you have for filling your kid’s lunches with things besides sandwiches, and keeping them healthy? I’d love to know!
Can you make these lunches ahead of time?
These are great lunches that can be made the night before. Any longer the ingredients will either turn color or not be as fresh and tasty.
I recommend getting them prepared the evening or night before. Then your kids will be able to grab and go on their way out the door.
We love simple, fast and efficient!
Need lunch ideas for you?!
This is all about kids lunch and getting them the best that they can have for a school day.
What about you, now!
Here are some of my go-to lunches that are quick and simple to make ahead or throw together the day of.
- Greek Chicken Wedge Salad
- Grilled Roasted Garlic and Cracked Black Pepper Pork Ramen
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Chicken Taco Lettuce Wrap
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
Turkey PinWheels
Ingredients
- 2 large Burrito sized flour tortillas
- 4-6 ounces sliced turkey
- 3 slices colby jack cheese
- Romaine lettuce
Cream Cheese Spread
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 tsp garlic granules
- 1/2 tsp Dill
- 1/4-1/2 tsp dried minced onion
Instructions
- Mix cream cheese spread ingredients together and spread using a spatula over the entire surface of the two tortillas.
- Layer on turkey, cheese, and lettuce (as well as anything you want to add in such as cucumbers)
- Roll the tortilla up into a tight log, and place toothpicks down the center in about 1 inch intervals.
- Using a sharp knife cut between each toothpick
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
Want to use this recipe in a meal plan?Try PrePear, my FREE Meal Planning App that allows you to save your recipes, plan meals, shop for groceries, and cook simply in one place. Join Here!Head to Walmart to check out the FROZEN grapes for yourself.
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes says
My 3 year old would flip over Frozen grapes!! I’ll have to look for them the next time I’m Walmart!
marcie says
My kids are old enough to make their own lunches now thank goodness — I just need to make sure we’re stocked up! haha Pinwheels are an awesome idea — I want these for my lunch! You’ve got some great ideas here Rachael! 🙂
Summer Len Davis says
My husband and I were just talking about how we should do lunches like this for our kids. They don’t eat the packaged CRAP that we have been packing for them, and we don’t feel good about feeding them that stuff. I think they would be much more likely to eat a lunch like this with fresh options. #client
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
My kids are the same way! They won’t do sandwiches every day, they want me to good and I happily oblige! This is a great meal to have!
Cathy Trochelman says
My kids would go crazy for any/all of these ideas!
Marla says
Do you cook/heat up the tortialls before you put in the ingredients for the pin wheel?
Rachael says
You definitely can, and if your tortillas are older that would be wise. You can put them in a damp paper towel, and warm in the microwave for a few minutes.