The fun of camp doesn’t have to stay at camp... you can bring it to school with you! One fun and easy way to camp-ify your child’s school day is by packing them Yellow Meal (a camper favorite) in their lunchbox! 

First thing’s first... What is Yellow Meal? We’re so glad you asked! 

Imagine you’re a first-time camper. After a long day of swimming, playing, and jumping from activity to activity, you’ve worked up quite the appetite. As you head to the dining hall for dinner, you hear a buzz from your fellow campers. “I think it’s Yellow Meal tonight,” you hear them say. You don’t know what that means, but they seem excited about it, so you are too. 

You make your way over to your cabin’s table and discover that everything on the table in front of you is, well, yellow! Chicken tenders, cornbread, mac and cheese, and applesauce—it's a feast fit for a hungry camper.  

Yellow meal is a time-honored tradition at T Bar M, and one your camper will remember whether they’ve been to camp one summer or ten. 

You can re-create yellow meal in your camper’s school lunch—and bring back all those fun summer memories—with four simple components! 

Chicken Nuggets 

The star of the show and the main protein source! At camp, they’re chicken tenders, but bite sized nuggets are easy to pack and eat on the go. Make them from scratch if you’re feeling fancy or grab them from the freezer aisle, we won’t tell! Throw in a sauce (honey mustard is yellow!), and you’re good to go.  

Cheese Stick  

Pack in that protein and calcium! Instead of mac and cheese, pack your camper a cheese stick or cheese slices. From cheddar to colby jack, there are plenty of yellow cheeses to choose from.  

Cornbread Muffin 

At camp, cornbread is a crucial part of the yellow meal menu. Pack a slice in a plastic bag if you have leftovers from last night’s dinner, or make it in a muffin tin for easy, on-the-go snacking. 

Applesauce or Apple Slices 

Fruit belongs in yellow meal, too! Applesauce pouches or cups are a quick and convenient option, or you can slice up a fresh apple. Bonus points if it’s yellow!  

Bonus Add-Ins 

• Add a note to encourage your camper! Let them know you’re proud of them, remind them of the memory verse from camp, or write a funny joke to make them laugh.
• Print out a camp photo and include it in their lunchbox to remind them of all the fun they had this summer! 
• Add a silly camp accessory, like mission impossible sunglasses or an Alpha/Omega bracelet, to add a little FUAGNEM to their day!