These 100 Healthy School Lunch Box Ideas will help you keep your kids school lunch fresh and interesting all year long! This cheat sheet is meant to be printed out and posted on your fridge and used whenever school lunch inspiration is needed – aka every Monday morning;).
This School Lunch Box Idea Cheat Sheet is everything!
It’s a one-stop-shop for easy, healthy and delicious school lunch box inspiration.
Over 100 of our favorite school lunch ideas that are both kid and mom approved 🙌
And because I know you will have a ton of other amazing school lunch ideas of your own, I made a blank cheat sheet for you (or you kids) to fill out with your favorite things to pack for school lunches.
Once you fill it out with your favs – then you can snap a picture and send it to me at hello@babyfoode.com and I will add your favorites to the list below.
I’m pretty much just crowdsourcing for my blog now 😜
If you want even more, check out my best-selling cookbook Little Bento: 32 Irresistible Bento Box Lunch for Kids for more recipes and ideas!
Reasons to Love these 100 Healthy School Lunch Box Ideas:
- easy to pack lunches
- healthy
- colorful
- full of nutrient dense foods to boost learning
- can be packed in any bento box or lunch box (find out my favorite bento boxes here)
- so many options, your kid will never get board
- great way to introduce new foods
Tip for Picky-Eaters
If you have a picky-eater on your hands, I have found that it helps if you sit down together and go through each section on the Cheat Sheet and have them pick (and highlight) their favorite 3 items in each section. It can be whichever 3 items they like, but they have to agree to eat those items if you pack them in their lunch.
This way, you have a jumping off point when packing lunches. You can pick a couple of their highlighted favorites along with 1 new thing for them to try.
Main Course
- bagel with cream cheese and hemp seed “sprinkles”
- cheese tortellini with marinara dipping sauce
- nut butter & jelly rollups*
- nut butter, banana & honey sandwich*
- cheese, bean & corn quesadilla with mild guacamole on the side
- cold pasta salad
- cheese pizza with olives & peppers on bagel or flatbread
- udon noodles with veggies and nut butter sauce*
- grilled chicken nuggets with pesto dipping sauce
- pancakes, hard boiled egg and turkey bacon
- waffles & cream cheese sandwich
- tuna fish in mini pita bread
- turkey & cheese rollups with a pickle
- baked chicken nuggets with honey mustard dipping sauce
- hummus, chopped veggies and pita bread wedges
- bean & cheese nachos
- sliced apple & nut butter “sandwich”*
- veggie nuggets with ranch dipping sauce
- healthy lunchables – rolled turkey, salami, sliced cheese and crackers
- yogurt, granola and betries
- chicken salad with crackers
- baked crispy tofu cubes
- cream cheese & carrot pinwheels
- veggie loaded pizza rollups
Warm Main Course – great in Omiebox or served in a thermos
- tomato soup with cheese bread dippers
- chicken noddle soup
- beans & rice with sprinkle of cheese
- mini bean & cheese burriot
- macaroni & cheese with chicken chunks and peas
- meatballs with BBQ toppings on side
- oatmeal with DIY toppings on the side
- chili with broccoli & cheese corn bread
*use sunflower butter for nut-free schools
Fruits & Veggies (1 of each)
Fruit
- berries
- apple slices
- applesauce
- mandarin oranges
- banana
- grapes
- dried fruit
- cantaloupe chunks
- watermelon
- orange sections
- honeydew balls
- fruit cup
- mango
- kiwi
- peaches
- pineapple
- pomegranate seeds
- fruit kabob
Veggies
- broccoli florets
- celery sticks
- carrots – sticks, baby, coins
- snap peas
- edamame
- sliced peppers
- olives
- cherry tomatoes
- jicama
- avocado (squeeze of lemon keeps it from browning)
- peas
- green beans
- cauliflower florets
- picles
- sliced zucchini
- corn
- cucumber slices
Something Fun (pick 1)
- mini chocolate chips
- trail mix
- chocolate covered raisins
- mini marshmallows
- graham crakcers
- pretzels
- popcorn
- veggie sticks
- pirates booty
- mini muffin
- 2-bite brownie or cookie
- chocolate covered pretzels
- yogurt covered raisins
- yogurt covered pretzels
- rice crispy treats
- chocolate covered nuts, seeds or dried fruit
- backed chips
- corn chips with mild salsa
- gummy treats
- homemade treat
- kale chips
- energy bites
- seed crackers with guacamole
- yogurt tubes (frozen or cold)
- cheddar snacks
- pudding
- string cheese
Dips
- ranch
- pesto
- nut butter*
- cream cheese dip
- yogurt dip
- hummus
- vinaigrette
- honey mustard
- BBQ sauce
- laughing cow cheese
- mild salsa
- guacamole
*use sunflower butter for nut-free schools
Download your FREE Printables HERE!
MORE SCHOOL LUNCH BOX INSPIRATION YOU’LL LOVE:
- 9 Best Kids Bento Boxes for School (expert review)
- 10 Allergy-Friendly School Lunch Box Ideas for Kids
- 10 Easy + Healthy School Lunch Ideas
- 5 School Lunch Box Packing Tips (FREE Printables!)
- 68 Preschool and Kindergarten School Lunch Ideas
- Little Bento: 32 Irresistible Bento Box Lunches for Kids
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