50 School Lunch Ideas

Yes, please! Building a healthy lunch for a child is essential for their growth & development. It is also aiming to fuel their bodies to get them through the day.

Need a little help deciding what to pack and send them off with or need some simple lunch ideas for homeschool? Well, look no further! I put together a collection of 50 simple lunch ideas you can pack for your kids. Feel free to make them your own by swapping in one of their favorite healthy options for mine.

Use these ideas!

1. Baby bell cheese wheel, Triscuits or round crackers, roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries

2. Cheese stick, crackers, peas, blueberries & strawberries

3. Leftover grilled steak cubed, celery with low-fat dressing, strawberries, popcorn

4. Spinach & broccoli quiche, apple, whole wheat muffin or scone

5. Parfait (low-fat yogurt, blueberries, muesli), cucumber slices

6. Egg salad on whole wheat bread, peach, sugar snap peas

7. Soup heated and placed in a prepared thermos, whole grain baguette, fresh fruit salad

8. Leftover grilled chicken cubed, cantaloupe, blueberry muffin, cherry tomatoes

9. Chicken salad stuffed in a whole grain pita with lettuce, whole strawberries

10. Hard-boiled egg, mini bagel, reduced fat cream cheese, pear, broccoli

11. Tuna salad on a whole wheat roll, celery sticks with low-fat dressing, orange

12. Low sodium ham and low-fat cheese both cubed for kabobs, carrot sticks, grapes

13. Smoothie, healthy muffin, orange smiles, string beans

14. Hummus with baked chips, baby carrots, celery sticks, melon balls/blueberries

15. Cheese stick, rice cake, raw broccoli, low-fat dressing, clementine

16. Yogurt with low-fat granola, rainbow carrot sticks, watermelon shapes

17. Salad with low-fat dressing, lunch meat roll ups, goldfish, apple

18. Cottage cheese with pineapple chunks, sliced cucumber, rice roll

19. Homemade energy bites, fruit kabobs, baby bell peppers

20. Smoothie, fresh fruit, side salad with low-fat dressing, popcorn

21. Nut or sun butter on a rice cake, banana, celery sticks

22. Cold cooked chicken nuggets, green pepper rings, watermelon balls

23. Banana split (yogurt, granola, banana, sliced strawberries, opt. chia seeds), snow peas

24. Waffle sandwich with cream cheese & sliced strawberries, carrot coins

25. Chilled pasta salad with halved grape tomatoes, cheese cubes, mandarin oranges in a light syrup or own juice

26. Hard-boiled egg, granola bar (<8gm sugar), applesauce with cinnamon, and cucumber sticks

27. Hummus, pretzels, sugar snap peas, plum

28. Taco salad (cooked & cooled beef, chicken, turkey, or beans) with homemade taco bowl or baked chips, shredded lettuce, corn, salsa or diced tomatoes, grapes

29. Smoothie bowl (yogurt, kiwi & strawberry slices, low-fat granola, chia or ground flaxseeds + pistachios)

30. Sandwich made with low sodium lunch meat and whole-grain bread (cut into a shape with a large cookie cutter), honeydew cubes

31. Mini bagel, pizza sauce, low-fat shredded cheese, yellow pepper slices, pear

32. Salad with beans (ex. black beans or chickpeas), whole grain roll, dried fruit (ex. pineapple, apricots, or cranberries)

33. Tortilla (black bean & cheese), shredded lettuce & chopped tomatoes, raspberries

34. Yogurt, trail mix (whole grain cereal, dried fruit, opt. nuts, few dark chocolate pieces), banana

35. Beans & rice bowl with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, & avocado cubes, mango cubes

36. Waffle, syrup, cottage cheese with blackberries, carrot sticks

37. Baked chips with salsa, avocado slices, red pepper rings, kiwi slices

38. Whole grain turkey sandwich, light mayonnaise, roasted zucchini, pitted cherries

39. Peanut butter & banana sandwich, red grapes, cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes

40. English muffin with low-fat cream cheese or nut/sun butter and top with sliced strawberries, sugar snap peas & carrot sticks

41. Mozzarella, basil, & grape tomato skewers, baked pita chips, orange slices

42. Sub sandwich (ex. salami, turkey, ham, cheese), lettuce, tomato, opt. pickles, low-fat mayonnaise or mustard, blueberries

43. Guacamole with baked pita chips, baby carrots, pineapple chunks and cantaloupe shapes

44. Cheese stick, celery sticks, Wheat Thins, canned pineapple in own juice cup

45. Grilled chicken bites, pasta salad with veggies, mixed berries

46. Wrap (ham & cheese) sliced into bite size rolls, green grapes, baby bell peppers

47. Hummus with tortilla chips, various cut up veggies (broccoli, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, carrot sticks), pear

48. Chickpeas, rice, cooked cubed chicken, salad greens, low-fat dressing, optional salsa, blackberries

49. Nuts, mini rice cakes, apple, roasted carrots

50. Peanut butter or reduced-fat cream cheese on celery sticks topped with raisins or dried cranberries, crackers

Photo credit: Unsplash/S'well