Any parent knows making those school lunches day after day gets tedious. Well, it’s the same for your kids and teens who open up the lunch bags and boxes every day. It doesn’t take long for those lunches from home to get mundane. So, what are busy parents to do? We want to keep lunches fresh and exciting during the school year, but it’s hard to come up with creative and tasty lunches five days a week.
If you are searching for ways to brighten up the lunch boxes this school year, we’ve got fun, delish, and healthy lunch ideas for kids that will make opening the box or bag the best part of the day.
Lunch ideas for kids
Did you take a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to school just about every day? Maybe you were a turkey and cheese kid, or perhaps yogurt with a spoon. Did you look enviously at the ones at the table who were allowed to buy their lunches? Now that you’re a parent of school-aged kids, you know just how hard it is to come up with ideas to pack in the lunch box. It’s almost as hard as coming up with different things to cook for dinner. Even worse, if you happen to be the parent of a super picky eater.
If you haven’t discovered bento boxes, check them out this back-to-school season. Bento boxes come with ready-made sections kids can eat right out of. Using bento boxes for lunch makes it possible to get a bit more creative with the meals you pack. Don’t fear lunch making this year. We’ve got some delicious lunch ideas the kids will actually look forward to unpacking and eating.
Yogurt bar
For kids who love yogurt and can’t stand eating it plain, pack a yogurt box. Fill up the main pocket of a bento box with your kiddo’s favorite yogurt. In the other pockets, include personal favorite toppings like granola, blueberries, strawberries, and even chocolate chips. Thanks to the bento box compartments, your child can sprinkle the toppings on the yogurt and eat from the box.
Use the other bento box pocket for chips or crackers. Kids can also eat the yogurt plain and the toppings separately. They have options. You can do the same thing with cottage cheese. To keep cold, place the bento box in an insulated lunch box.
Breadless wraps
If your kids get sick of sandwiches easily, try making these breadless wraps. They’re super simple and versatile. Take a favorite deli meat like turkey. Use it as a wrap, putting an apple slice and a piece of cheese inside. Make a couple of breadless wraps with apple and cheese. Pair it with cut-up carrots and cucumbers. Top off with a sweet treat like a cookie.
Pita pockets
Another way to change up the traditional sandwich is the pita pocket. You can stuff a pita pocket with tuna fish or chicken salad. Add in some avocado. Toss in some apple slices with a seasonal fruit along with chips or pretzels.
Cookie-cutter sandwiches
Tweens and teens may not appreciate these, but younger kids definitely will. Whether you’re making a turkey and cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, give it a twist with a cookie cutter. Take the sandwich and use a cookie cutter to change it into a fun shape. You can do apple sandwiches for September and then transition into pumpkin and witch hat ones for October. The possibilities are endless.
Homemade lunchables
Kids of all ages love those prepackaged lunchables you see at the grocery store. While parents don’t love the price, lunchables are relatively easy to prepare at home, thanks to bento boxes. You can even do DIY pizza lunchables with an English muffin, your favorite pizza sauce, and mozzarella cheese. The bento box compartments make it a snap to put in the ingredients for a homemade lunchable-inspired pizza to enjoy at school. So, if your kiddo has a favorite lunchable, use the bento box to create your own at home to pack for school.
Leftovers
Some kids and teens don’t mind eating leftovers. So, why not use that leftover chicken, pot roast, or meatballs and turn them into tomorrow’s lunch? A chicken or pot roast sandwich topped with lettuce and tomato makes for a tasty change from deli meat. Even better is a meatball sub for lunch. Leftover pizza? Why not?
Many teens are happy to dive into a slice of cold, leftover pizza. Toss in a few healthy veggies like carrots and cucumbers with a bit of hummus to round out the lunch. Not all kids are fans of leftovers, but if you know yours are, then take advantage when it comes to preparing lunches when you made too much for dinner.
More lunch ideas for kids
If you’re not inspired yet, we’ve got some more simple lunch ideas to change up the menu this school year.
Egg wraps
If your kiddo likes eggs, these egg wraps from the Lean Green Bean pack a tasty protein punch for lunch. Kids can eat them warm or cold and include other healthy additions like avocado, cheese, and hummus.
Muffins
Muffins aren’t just for breakfast. They can be an appetizing change for lunch. Store-bought muffins aren’t always the healthiest. When you make them at home, though, you control what goes in. Yummy Toddler Food serves up easy muffin recipes kids will love that are healthy, too.
Instead of a sandwich once or twice a week, try a couple of applesauce or carrot cake muffins. There is even a recipe for yogurt muffins. Make a batch on a Sunday afternoon and you’ve got something different to toss in the lunch boxes for the week.
Chicken nuggets
These are a kids staple, and teens won’t turn up a nose either. Chicken nuggets made at home are healthier than fast-food ones. They’re also perfect cold, which makes them ideal for a school lunch. Cookies and Cups has a delish recipe earmarked for the lunch box.
Turkey cheddar roll-ups
Shake up the sandwich by making these delish turkey roll-ups from Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog. The great thing about these roll-ups is that they are simple to make, and you can change up the ingredients to suit your kids’ tastes.
One of the wonderful things about summer and school vacations as a parent is that you don’t have to make school lunches. Packing lunches for the kids to take to school gets tiresome for parents. Eating them gets boring for children and teens too. Not every kiddo enjoys having the same lunch day after day. So, spice things up this school year with these easy lunch ideas for kids. They’re simple to make and delightful to eat.
