Trader Joe’s St. Patrick’s Day Color-Themed Lunch Boxes
+ Shopping List

You don’t have to be Irish to have a little fun for St. Patrick’s Day.

March can feel long, so we like to use it as an excuse to brighten up lunch boxes and celebrate the slow arrival of spring. This year, we created five lunch box ideas inspired by the colors of the rainbow, each with a fun Trader Joe’s twist.

Even better? We did the planning for you. Below you’ll find a simple shopping list with ingredients that overlap throughout the week, so you can mix and match lunches without overthinking it or overspending.

Bonus: several of the mains make enough that you can pack the leftovers for your own lunch too.

The goal here was simple: colorful, fun lunches that don’t require a lot of extra cooking or complicated prep.

Shopping List

We were able to buy everything on this list for under $100 (got to love Trader Joe’s). Even better, there were plenty of leftovers for at least five parent lunches during the week — plus snacks for after school.

Produce

• Red, Orange, and Green Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Red & Green Grape Duo
• Blueberries
• Rainbow Carrots

Dips & Fresh Items

• Hummus
• Greek Yogurt
• Frozen Açaí Purée

Snacks

• Dried Mango
• Cheddar Cheese
• Vegetable Root Chips
• Blue Corn Chips
• Naan Crackers
• Green Olives

Mains

• Spicy Alfredo Fusilli Pasta
• Mandarin Orange Chicken
• Mac ’n Cheese
• Salad Kit

Treats

• Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
• Candy-Coated Chocolates
• Jelly Beans

Want to Keep It Even Simpler?

If you don’t want to make all five lunches but still want to add some festive color, we recommend starting with these easy wins:

• Red, Orange, and Green Bell Peppers
• Red & Green Grape Duo
• Rainbow Carrots (3 carrot colors)
• Hummus (add spices you already have at home for variety)
• Vegetable Root Chips (3 chip colors)
• Candy-Coated Chocolates (rainbow)
• Jelly Beans (rainbow)

These alone can brighten up any lunch box without much effort.

Box 1: Red (Rover)

• Big Square Compartment: Spicy Alfredo Fusilli Pasta (packed in a Square Dipper)
• Top Skinny Compartment: Red Grapes
• Top Left Compartment: Hummus with chili powder + red chips from the Vegetable Root Chip mix
• Bottom Left Compartment: Red Bell Pepper Strips
• Treat Spot: Red Jelly Beans

Box 2: Orange (Rover)

• Big Square Compartment: Mandarin Orange Chicken (packed in a Square Dipper)
• Top Skinny Compartment: Cheddar Cheese + Naan Crackers
• Top Left Compartment: Orange carrots + orange bell pepper strips
• Bottom Left Compartment: Orange chips from the Vegetable Root Chip mix
• Treat Spot: Orange jelly beans + orange candy-coated chocolates

Box 3: Yellow (Launch)

• Big Compartment: Mac ’n Cheese (in Square Dipper) + Crispy oatmeal cookies + yellow candy-coated chocolates
• Top Compartment: Yellow carrots + hummus mixed with turmeric
• Bottom Compartment: Dried mango + yellow chips from the Vegetable Root Chip mix

Box 4: Green (Rover)

• Big Square Compartment: Salad kit (packed in a Square Dipper)
• Top Skinny Compartment: Green olives + green bell pepper strips
• Top Left Compartment: Salad dressing in a dipper + celery sticks
• Bottom Left Compartment: Green grapes
• Treat Spot: Green candy-coated chocolates + green jelly beans

Box 5: Blue / Purple (Launch)

• Big Compartment: Greek yogurt mixed with half a package of açaí purée , topped with blueberries and honey (in Square Dipper) + Purple carrots + blue and purple jelly beans + candy-coated chocolates (in Pods)
• Top Compartment: Red grapes + blueberries
• Bottom Compartment: Blue corn chips + hummus