Get kids excited about taking lunch to school by offering plenty of variety. Tailor this list of 52 lunchbox ideas to your child’s preferences. Discover her favorites and plan them once a week. Consider planning school lunches one month at a time, using a dry-erase calendar or typing and printing a list. Have fun and make school lunches something your child looks forward to eating. Be sure to consider accessibility to a refrigerator and microwave.
- DIY “lunchable”: Whole-wheat crackers, chunks of cheese and slices of meat
- Bagel and cream cheese
- Mini pizza: English muffin, pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni
- Banana slices and peanut butter with a handful of popcorn
- Ants on a log: Celery sticks with peanut butter (or cream cheese) and raisins on top
- Apple sandwiches: Slice apples into rings and spread peanut butter on each piece
- Cottage cheese mixed with fruit
- Hot dog cut into bite-sized pieces with ketchup for dipping
- Hard-boiled egg and a smoothie
- Bacon, lettuce and tomato (BLT) sandwich
- Sliders (mini hamburgers with cheese)
- Hummus and vegetables
- Pita pocket stuffed with sliced meat, lettuce and mayonnaise
- Chili with cheese sprinkled on top
- Soup packed in a Thermos to stay warm
- Salad with your child’s favorite toppings. Put dressing in a separate container.
- Fruit kabobs with yogurt for dipping
- Turkey and cheese sandwich
- Peanut butter and marshmallow creme (fluff) sandwich
- Pancakes or waffles (syrup in a separate container)
- Mini muffins with fruit
- Omelet
- Breakfast casserole (hash browns, eggs, meat, cheese)
- French toast sticks (syrup on side)
- Yogurt parfait with homemade granola (rolled oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, brown sugar & salt)
- Macaroni and cheese
- Pasta with frozen peas and carrots (they’ll thaw by lunchtime)
- Zucchini bread, applesauce bread or pumpkin bread with a side of applesauce or yogurt
- Cereal and fruit (buy milk at school)
- Chicken nuggets with dipping sauce
- Grilled cheese (add tomatoes or bacon) with cup of tomato soup
- Quiche with side salad
- Baked potato with cheese, broccoli and/or bacon
- Tuna sandwich and chips
- Cheese quesadillas with side of refried beans
- Burrito with tortilla chips & salsa
- Sliced chicken breast with rice and vegetables
- Cheese plate (variety of cheeses with crackers, olives or fruit)
- Egg salad sandwich and pretzels
- Ham and cheese croissant sandwich
- Pigs in a blanket (hot dogs baked in crescent roll dough)
- Spaghetti with meatballs
- Tacos (assemble at school)
- Fish sticks with tartar sauce
- Panini and chips
- Lettuce wraps (bib lettuce with toppings that can be rolled up inside)
- Stir fry and rice
- Calzone (pizza dough stuffed with cheese, pepperoni and sauce)
- Chicken salad sandwich and grapes
- Pulled pork sandwich
- Nachos
- Sloppy joe
Meagan Ruffing is a freelance writer. She was inspired to write this article when her son kept coming home from school with lunch still in his bag.
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