It’s that time of year where schedules resume, alarms go off earlier, and lunchboxes get packed—it’s back-to-school season! Whether you’ve got little ones going off to school, teenagers with growing appetites, or you’re in college and doing your own thing, this time of year can be hectic no matter who’s doing the lunch-packing or the getting up early to put food on the table. That’s why we’re here to help supply you with some gut-healthy inspiration with simple make-ahead breakfasts and easy, lunchbox ready snacks and dips to help keep students of all ages filled with gut-healthy goodness from Lifeway Kefir and Farmer Cheese.
During back-to-school season, it’s important to remember our guts need some extra love. When our stress levels go up, our digestive systems know it and respond by not feeling at their tip-top best. That’s why probiotics are critical to keep in mind during times of schedules changes. Good bacteria found in fermented foods with live and active cultures like Lifeway Kefir and Farmer Cheese provide your body with probiotics that keep it balanced and helps your system be more strong and robust to handle what comes its way.
Plus, the probiotics in Lifeway Kefir also support immunity and help fight off harmful bacteria that is often encountered in crowded classrooms with more germs and exposure to viruses that occur during the school year. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is an excellent and versatile way to add protein and live cultures to savory recipes since it can be mixed up as a sandwich spread or an easy dip to serve with veggies and crackers to put into lunchboxes. Using Lifeway Kefir and Farmer Cheese in healthy breakfasts, lunches, and snacks couldn’t be simpler or easier, all while letting you feel great about what you’re feeding the ones you care about most.
While you’re shopping for school supplies, be sure to also pick up some Lifeway ProBugs to put for lunchboxes. Lifeway ProBugs are kid-friendly pouches of Lifeway Kefir that support children’s gut health and are available in a variety of fun flavors. Our pouches are also BPA-free and have a sip-safe spout while the kefir inside is made with organic ingredients and live probiotic cultures that help guts happy and healthy on-the-go.
So without further ado, enjoy these 10 healthy back-to-school recipes made with love and Lifeway Kefir and Farmer Cheese. We’ve got a little something for everyone of all ages to inspire a stronger, smarter, and gut-healthy year ahead!
1. Strawberry Kefir Overnight Oats
This overnight oats recipe is one of our favorites and so easy to make for easy breakfasts all week long. Prepared with creamy Strawberry Lifeway Kefir, chia seeds, oats, and banana, this recipe is also budget-friendly and customizable so you can make different variations throughout the week by adding different fruits or using a different flavor of Lifeway Kefir. Get the recipe here!
Mix up some of our Farmer Cheese Dips available in a variety of flavors perfect to pack up in a lunch box. These dips are easy to put into containers to pair with veggies to make eating produce more fun for kids, plus it gives them an easy to digest source of protein from Lifeway Farmer Cheese. Our farmer cheese is packed with 15 grams per 1/2 cup and comes complete with live probiotic cultures for optimal gut health. Carrots, celery, cucumber slices, and chopped zucchini are all great veggie pairings to put with these dips. Get the recipe here!
Everyone loves a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but why not boost the protein a bit? We gave our easy Peanut Butter Jelly Toast recipe a makeover with healthy jam, Lifeway Farmer Cheese for natural protein and live cultures, and used sourdough bread that’s easier to digest and less processed. Pack up some of these sandwiches in your children’s lunch and they’ll be so glad you did!
4. Blueberry Peanut Butter Breakfast Smoothie
When mornings get hectic and you haven’t prepared ahead of time, smoothies are a great make-and-go option since you can sip them on the road. Our Blueberry Peanut Butter Breakfast Smoothie is made with classic PB+J inspired ingredients with a healthy spin—sans the white bread and refined sugar. We use antioxidant-rich blueberries, heart-healthy peanut butter, and gut-loving Lifeway Kefir in our blend, plus a few other healthy ingredients that taste incredible. Blend this recipe up and enjoy!
Nothing says it’s almost fall like the flavors of apples, so we couldn’t help but prepare a lovely little chia pudding recipe inspired by a warm and cozy apple crumble dessert. Our Apple Crumble Chia Pudding might taste like dessert, but it’s secretly packed with goodness from top to bottom. Containing no strange ingredients, just gut-friendly Lifeway Kefir that’s packed with probiotics and protein, plus fiber-rich chia seeds, apples, real vanilla, and a few extra ingredients that are easy to find at the store. Prepare a few cups of this recipe for breakfast, a snack, or a healthy dessert!
6. Strawberry Kefir Dream Parfait
While this might look like a decadent dessert, this recipe is stacked high with nutrients including fiber, protein, probiotics, and ample vitamins and minerals. This recipe contains protein-packed Lifeway Farmer Cheese, our creamy cheese that’s similar to cottage cheese but smoother in texture and lower in sodium with no added salt. It’s perfect for sweet parfait recipes like this one that we made healthy by swapping heavy cream or cream cheese with Lifeway Farmer Cheese and Lifeway Kefir instead. Strawberry Lifeway Kefir adds the most delightful flavor that combines beautifully with strawberries that offer vitamin C, fiber, and potassium while the chia seeds add fiber and healthy fats. Get the recipe here!
7. Whipped Farmer Cheese Berry Dip
Kids love fruit, and fruit is a perfect lunchbox pairing to our Whipped Farmer Cheese Berry Dip in place of sugary dips or yogurts. This recipe is also a good source of protein and lightly sweetened with honey and vanilla that kids will love. It’s a delicious way to give children a healthy snack that feels like something special. This recipe also tastes great with whole grain crackers and can be spread onto sandwiches as another option. Get the recipe here.
8. Salted Chocolate Tahini Cookies
Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies, and they make a great ingredient to pack up into lunchboxes to give kids a healthy treat. But why not make them a little better for us while we’re at it? That’s the approach we took with our Salted Chocolate Tahini Cookies where tahini (sesame seed paste) gives the cookies a nutty edge of richness and adds plenty of protein and vitamin E naturally found in sesame seeds. If your children have allergies to sesame, you can use cashew butter or sunflower seed butter instead. We used Lifeway Kefir and Farmer Cheese in the batter to add a silky smooth texture with real dark chocolate chips and oat flour to keep these gluten-free and wholesome. They’re also delicious after school served with a cold glass of Lifeway Kefir. Grab this recipe, and make up a batch today!
9. Blended Blueberry Probiotic Chia Pudding
We’re over the moon for this beautiful blueberry recipe made with oats, chia seeds, and Lifeway Kefir. Blending the chia seeds before you set them overnight is a game-changer for upping your chia seed pudding game. Creamier like a thick dessert pudding, blending the chia seeds makes this recipe not just tastier but also easier to digest. Blueberries supply your brain with antioxidants while also giving your gut plenty of fiber while Blueberry Lifeway Kefir in this recipe brings everything together with live and active probiotics and natural protein to keep you full. Prep these jars ahead of time and enjoy all week!
Muffins are a wonderful grab-and-go breakfast, but they often take an unhealthy detour if they’re lacking fiber and protein. That’s why our Blueberry Banana Muffins made with Lifeway Kefir and natural ingredients help keep you on track. Our recipe is made with oats, blueberries, and bananas that are all great sources of fiber, plus Lifeway Kefir that offers protein and helps keep the batter moist and tender. Lifeway Kefir’s cultures tenderize the batter just like buttermilk but with more goodness and protein included. Get this recipe here, then bake some up for the week ahead!
If you need additional back-to-school tips, we’ve got five right here you can check out! Be sure to also give us a follow on social media at Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest to see what we’re up to next. See you there!