101 School Lunch Ideas for Kids They'll Actually Eat
Protein-Packed School Lunch Ideas for Kids
1. BLT in a mini pita
2. Cream cheese and strawberries in a mini waffle sandwich
3. Jello cubes
4. Celery with peanut butter or cream cheese
5. Hummus with carrots/chips/sliced veggies
6. A hard-boiled egg with a tiny salt packet
7. Mini pita, shredded mozzarella, and tomato sauce—all in separate containers—for assembling a lunchbox pizza
8. Cubes of cheese, tasting booth style
9. Yogurt with fruit and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar
10. Nuts
11. Peanut butter (or a nut-butter alternative) on crackers
12. Cream cheese and jelly on crackers
13. Shredded cheese
14. Banana peanut butter roll-up on a tortilla
15. Deviled egg
16. Roll a tortilla with favorite sandwich filling, then slice off just a couple of bite-sized rolls into pinwheels
17. Trail mix (you can make your own)
18. Guacamole in one cup, tortilla chips in another
19. Nacho cheese sauce in one cup, chips in another
20. Cesar salad chicken wrap
21. Slices of sausage or hot dog
22. Tortilla chips with salsa, black beans, and shredded cheese so kids can make nachos
23. Shelled sunflower seeds
24. PB&J tacos
25. Slice of baguette with cream cheese or mascarpone and pesto
26. An Italian Wrap
27. Babybel cheese
28. Make a DIY Lunchable
29. Bagel and toppings
30. Sandwiches on Ritz crackers
31. Lunchbox tacos
32. Yogurt tubes (they can be frozen when you pack them)
33. Quesadillas with dipping sauces
34. Sliced cheese and salami rolled into a tube
35. Strips of prosciutto wrapped around cubes of melon
37. Hummus roll-up
38. Apple chicken salad on a stick
39. Cubed turkey and cheese kabobs
40. Sandwich sushi using bread
41. Breakfast for lunch
42. Cucumber sushi
Fruit and Veggie Ideas for Kids' Lunch Boxes
43. Cherry tomatoes
44. Melon balls
45. Carrots cut into long spaghetti strands
46. Sliced cucumber with a wedge of lemon and a little salt
47. Slices of star fruit
48. Salad in one cup, dressing in another
49. Applesauce
50. Watermelon chunks
51. Radishes sliced in flower shapes
52. Grapes, (champagne grapes are very sweet)
53. Cucumber sandwich wedges (like at high tea)
54. Apple slices with peanut butter
55. Any dried fruit
56. Any berries with a decadent little cup of whipped cream
57. Fruit kabob with favorite fruits
58. Basil tomato skewers
59. Mandarin orange slices (fresh or canned)
60. A couple of pieces of veggie sushi with a packet of soy sauce
61. Roasted seaweed or kale snacks (they come in great flavors)
62. Fried plantain slices
63. Pickles
Easy School Lunch Snacks and Sides
64. Pretzels and dip
65. Plain, cold pasta (try different colors and shapes)
66. Cornbread (baked with cheese on top)
67. A mini-muffin
68. Potato salad
69. Popcorn
70. Mini croissant with jam
71. Mini bagels (or bagel slices) with cream cheese
72. Cold spaghetti in a favorite dressing or peanut sauce
73. Olives
74. Rice cakes
75. Pancake with a mini syrup packet
76. DIY Chex mix (be sure to include Goldfish!)
77. Fruit roll-ups made from real fruit
78.An old-school tiny box of Sun-Maid raisins
79. Any kind of granola bar or breakfast bar
80. Dry cereal and a small carton of milk
81. Lunchbox s'mores: graham crackers with fluff and Nutella
82. Rice pudding
83. Any sandwich made on a little slider bun becomes super cute
84. Apple sandwich
85. Sprinkle sandwiches
86. Energy balls
87. Yogurt with pretzel dippers
88. Bento box charcuterie
89. Apple chip nachos
Thermos Lunch Ideas for Kids
90. Ramen noodles
91. Pesto with tortellini
92. Pasta salads
93. Teriyaki chicken bowls
94. Lunchbox smoothies
95. Ham and mac and cheese lunchbox muffins
96. Chicken and rice patties
97. Penne pasta with peas and parmesan
98. Chicken noodle soup
99. Scrambled eggs and cheese
100. Oatmeal with fresh fruit
101. Spaghettios