Packing a lunch makes tons of sense. It’s healthier for you and easier on your wallet than buying lunch.

But sometimes packing them seems so…UGH. Right?

In reality though, it’s just the thought of packing a lunch that’s painful. If you hit on some basic staples and rotate them through each week, you satisfy everybody’s need for variety and your own need for efficiency.

The trick to hitting that 2 minute lunch-packing-on-autopilot routine down is finding a handful of sandwiches that everybody loves. Here are the five favorites in our household (all nut free as my son’s four best buddies all have severe nut allergies & he sits at the peanut-free table at school):

Basic Wraps

Instead of mayo, I spread a little ranch dressing on the base of the wrap. Then add cut up veggies (which I prep on Sunday evenings and keep in mugs of water in the fridge so they stay fresh for a few days). Cutting them into sections is great for kids but for grownups – just leave whole.

Cream cheese & Jam

This nut-free twist on PB&J can be made toasted or un-toasted. It’s a hit any way you prepare it.

Quesadillas

This is about the easiest thing to make. Throw a little grated cheese on a tortilla flat. Heat for 1-2 minutes, flip & heat the other side. Done!

Pita Pocket Pizzas

You can make the pizza inside the pita pocket or on top. Just add a little pizza sauce, toppings and bake for a few minutes while you scarf down some cereal.

Checkerboard Tuna Fish Sandwiches

Make 2 sandwiches – one using whole wheat bread, the other white bread. Then mix and match the sandwich quarters into a checkerboard. Fun to look at = fun to eat. If I only have whole wheat bread, I will cut the sandwich into the shape of a monster truck using a biscuit cutter for the giant wheels.

What are your go-to speedy lunches?