Mini Taco Salad Lunch Box (390 cal w/pics)

RillSoji

I noticed that my last few lunch boxes have all had lots of salad in them. Salad is such an easy way to get my needed veggie ratio in my lunch boxes. I love salads! But I think my husband only eats them because he has to, not because he particularly likes them. So it's time to mix it up a little!

As I was thinking last night about what to do for today's lunch I had an epiphany. I was thinking about the half bag of Tostitos Scoops sitting in my pantry from the 4th and a few of the other leftovers I still need to use up. Then it hit me. TACO salad! Taco salad is one of the few salads my husband really enjoys. Probably because it's generally got meat and cheese and taco sauce on it. And the chips look like mini taco salad shells. Perfect for lunch boxes!



There's some assembly required to eat this but it's delicious and well worth the extra lunch time. We have scoops, thinly sliced cheddar and pepper jack, leftover bbq corn made into a corn salsa, almost minced salad, refried beans and some sour cream and taco sauce. To round it off I threw in some grapes, blueberries and cucumber slices too!



2 Servings (1 pictured, top) | 390 Calories ea

24 Tostitos Whole Grain Scoops
3/4 cup Fat Free Refried Beans
1 Slice Cheddar Cheese
1 Slice Pepper Jack Cheese
1/3 cup Whole Kernel Corn
1 Green Onion
1/2 Roma Tomato
1/2 Tbl Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/4 cup Baby Spinach
1 cup Iceberg Salad
1 cup Red/Green Seedless Grapes
1/2 cup Blueberries
8 Cucumber Slices
1 Tbl Sour Cream
2 tsp Taco Sauce

Finely chop the green onion and tomato. In a small bowl mix together corn, green onion, tomato, cilantro and liquid smoke. Salt and pepper if desired. Divide and place inside a separate container in the boxes.

In a separate section of the boxes, lay a bed of spinach leaves then divide and place the scoops on top. Thinly slice the cheeses, divide and place in the boxes. Divide the refried beans and place in the boxes in separate containers. Divide the grapes, blueberries and cucumbers and place inside the boxes. Finely dice the iceberg salad then divide and place inside the boxes. Put the sour cream and taco sauce inside separate dressing containers and place inside the boxes.

songbyrdsweet

That looks like a bento box lunch! Lovely!!

RillSoji

That looks like a bento box lunch! Lovely!!

That's where I first got started but got so many people asking me what a 'bento' box was that I just started calling them lunch boxes instead! ^_^

poppyspice

Yummy! Thanks for the idea. It is amazing what you can find in your own refrigerator and pantry instead of paying 6-10 bucks for lunch. Not only is your lunch box tasty and appealing but it is economical too. Good job!

alwaysenl

That looks really good! That would be a fun & tasty lunch...thanks 4 sharing

amber_hanners

that looks very yummy thanks for sharing. Also i must ask where did u get ur little containers that ur sour cream and sauce is in

RillSoji

that looks very yummy thanks for sharing. Also i must ask where did u get ur little containers that ur sour cream and sauce is in

I have a how-to that I'm working on that shows where to get stuff:
http://breeslunchbox.blogspot.com/p/do-it-yourself.html

But here's specifically where I got the pig and fish containers:
http://www.amazon.com/JapanBargain-K134-Sauce-Containers-H4537/dp/B001AJ8HOG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1308792372&sr=8-2

The pig will hold about 1/2 TBL and thicker sauces. The fish will hold about a tsp and is for thinner sauces.

WWJD0214

Looks yummy thanks for sharing