Summer is coming. Yay! My kids as SO ready for summer; they really need a break. Summer means many tweens will be home alone and may need to make their own lunches. I’m sharing 10 easy tortilla lunch meal ideas tweens can make on their own.
Tweens are growing up and many of them may be staying home alone for the first time every day while parents are away at work this summer. Tweens need some easy meal ideas so they don’t end up snacking on chips and junk all day every day. Sandwiches are of course an easy option tweens can easily make, but having other ideas in their back pockets will help them have a more varied diet over the summer. Plus this will help prevent lunch boredom!
Simply teach tweens how to use the microwave and tell them to be sure to wash all fruits, or better yet prewash them and have them ready in the fridge.
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10 Easy Tortilla Lunch Meal Ideas Tweens Can Make on Their Own
Many of these ideas will work for a vegetarian or meat-eater with simple modifications.
- Fake Crepe with Nutella and Fruit: At my house, my boys coined this easy, yummy dish “fake crepe”. It is easy to make and conisists of 1 Tablespoon of Nutella® spread across the middle of a tortilla. Next, slice a half or whole banana and make a line or double line of banana slices down the middle of the tortilla along the Nutella. Roll and it and secure it with a toothpick if needed, but if the Nutella is spread across the tortilla enough, it acts as the glue to keep the tortilla roll closed. Other ideas include Nutella and strawberry slices, raspberries, raisins, or blackberries. The options are endless! If they need to cut the fruit, tell them to use a plastic knife or butter knife so they don’t use a sharp knife and accidentally cut themselves when home alone (this is what I tell my own kids because it makes me nervous), unless they are already fully trained on kitchen knife safety. The tween can get creative here and try out other foods in the “fake crepe”.
- Peanut Butter and Nutella Roll: This tastes like a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup. It’s SO delicious. Simply lay the tortilla on a plate and spread 1 Tablespoon of Nutella and 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter across the tortilla and roll it up. That’s it! It tastes like a treat rather than a meal:)
- Pizza Tortilla Roll up: This also involves a tortilla and using the microwave. Most tweens have learned to use the microwave, but if not, perhaps now is the time to teach them microwave usage. This Pizza Tortilla Roll up is super easy to make and it tastes like pizza which most tweens will love. Ingredients include tortilla, pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, optional pepperoni or pre-cooked veggies. Simply cook some veggies to keep in the fridge so they are ready to add if vegetables are desired. To read exactly how to make it, click here. It takes just like pizza, so it’s pizza for one! Anytime:)
Easy Pizza Tortilla roll for 1-4 people - Egg Burrito: This one is super easy too and again, it involves a tortilla (I love tortillas and I know kids do too!). The simple recipe involves a tortilla, an egg, cooking spray, milk, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, salt and pepper, and optional pre-cooked veggies. Spray a microwaveable bowl with cooking spray, crack an egg into the bowl, add 1 Tablespoon of milk and scramble with a fork. Microwave for one minute. Slide the cooked egg patty onto tortilla and add toppings. Close sides of tortilla and it’s ready. To see exactly how to make this recipe, click here.
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Simple Easy Quick 7 Ones Egg Burrito 5. Ham and Cheese (or tofu and cheese): Lay a tortilla on a microwavable plate. Sprinkle ham chunks or tofu chunks down the middle of the tortilla. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese or lay slices of American cheese down the middle. Sprinkle ham/cheese or tofu/cheese with hot sauce, ranch dressing, or Italian dressing. Fold it up and microwave for 1 minute. If it doesn’t stay closed, wrap a plain white paper towel or napkin around it and tuck it under to keep it closed. Optional additions: 1 Tbsp. jalapeños from a can, 1 Tbsp. green chilies from a can, or 1 Tbsp. tomatoes and chilies from a can of Rotel®.
- Lettuce Wrap: This one involves a tortilla (yes, again!). Lay a tortilla on a plate and spread 2 Tablespoons Ranch dressing over the middle of the tortilla, add a handful of prewashed lettuce, two pieces of sliced turkey (either whole or broken into pieces), sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and 1/2 Tablespoon sunflower seeds. Simply roll up and eat.
- Pickle Wrap: Hey, it’s another tortilla idea! Lay a tortilla on a plate, spread 2 Tablespoons of cream cheese across the tortilla to all the edges of the tortilla, lay 2 turkey or ham slices of sandwich meat on top of the cream cheese down the middle (or skip the meat for vegetarian option), make a line of 3-4 baby dill pickles down the center of the tortilla, and roll up the tortilla. With the cream cheese to the edges of the tortilla, the roll should stay closed as the cream cheese acts like the glue to hold it down.
- Soft Taco: Make taco meat for dinner and make enough for leftovers so the tween can heat up the meat in the microwave the next day for lunch. Tweens can easily make a taco using a tortilla, the leftover taco meat, shredded cheese, salsa, prewashed lettuce, and sour cream. Or make a vegetarian one and skip the meat.
- PB & J Roll: This is as simple as it sounds. Simply lay the tortilla on a plate and spread 1-2 Tablespoons of peanut butter and jelly acrose the whole tortilla in a thin layer. The tween can spread it, roll it up, and eat within a few minutes. This is good for when they are really hungry and need something immediately! It’s so quick to prepare!
- Peanut Butter and Fruit Roll Up: Spread 1-2 Tablespoons of peanut butter all across a tortilla and add banana slices, strawberry slices, raspberries, apple slices, or blackberries. Simply roll up and eat.
- Fruity Jelly and Fruit Roll up: Spread 1-2 Tablespoons of jelly all across a tortilla, add banana slices, apple slices, blueberries, or strawberries, roll up and eat.
Kids in the Kitchen!
Get the kids in the kitchen! Tweens can easily make these meals and feel confident in doing so because they are so easy to prepare. These ideas are quick to make which is nice for the tween who gets hungry quickly and needs quick healthy options so they don’t fall into a bag of chips or pretzels out of convenience. My boys can eat a bag of chips very quickly, so healthy, easy, quick options are needed in my house of three boys!
TIP: When making dinner meals, plan for extra leftover meat so kids can easily add cooked meat to their tortillas when they are making food for themselves.
Print this out and tweens will have an easy-go-to list for quick reference for meals when home alone for lunch.
P.S. This is a quick reference is for moms and dads too, sometimes moms and dads need quick, easy, fast, yummy lunches too 🙂 I know I get hangry too!!! 😉
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I didn’t know that tortilla makes life so easy for a busy mom like us. I have bought lots of tortillas but still, couldn’t find a way how to make it. Thanks so much for these fabulous ideas.
You are welcome! Tortillas are so versatile and can be used in so many ways. Thank you!!!
Oh my! My daughter would LOVE the peanut butter and Nutella one! I do just Nutella for her, but never thought to add peanut butter.
My boys LOVE these ideas and they can make it all on their own!! thanks!
I love tortilla wrap lunches, esp for the beach! I do hummus, spinach and feta, maybe edamame if I have it!
Great idea! Love it! Kids could make that on their own too! thanks:)
Yum! this looks so easy and delicious! thanks for sharing!
Yes! Thank you!
I love these easy simple lunch ideas myself:) Thanks!
So many fun ideas! I love Nutella and banana, so thats a sure winner!!
Yes, Nutella and bananas, one of our favorites! Thanks!
Great ideas! I always have left over tortillas and other random ingredients. Yum!
Yes, perfect ingredients for quick meals for tweens, or adults! Busy moms need quick meals to keep up with the busy kids’ sports and activities schedules. Thank you!
These are all such great ideas! I love how quick and easy they are too.
Yes, I love that too! Thanks!
I love seeing others’ tortilla recipes! they are a mainstay in my house, a pure go-to meal in double time when i’m beat. my friends who had little ones like i did loved that i could feed their kids and mine fast on playdates and i’ve been doling out recipes for years ever since. it looks like i have a few more, thanks to you. i’m definitely forwarding your link and bookmarking it for myself
Tortillas are awesome and so versatile! We go through tons of them at my house and I agree, they are a great go-to meal when I want something easy, fast, and yummy. I hope you enjoy my recipes! Thank you so much for comment!!