Emma Lisa is a Nutritionist & Women’s Health Practitioner with over 14+ years experience in clean eating nutrition, meal planning and health coaching. She is a published cookbook author, passionate food recipe creator and lifestyle blogger, and an advocate for women’s health. When she’s not in clinic, Emma is mum to five kids, in her test kitchen and a wellness digital creator. She lives in Sydney, Australia. Check out her social media profiles here: Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest
Guide to Kids Lunchbox Ideas
Bye-bye lunchbox stress, I’ve teamed up with my friend, Emma Lisa, mum of five and a Nutritionist and Recipe Developer, to bring you a round-up of healthy, budget-friendly kids lunchbox ideas. These practical, fuss-free meals ditch the weekly stress over what to serve in lunchboxes, and are easy for busy mums, teachers, and carers too.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a picky eater or an overly active little soccer star who needs lasting fuel, these lunchbox recipe ideas are all packed with nutrients, kid-friendly flavour, and best of all, are quick and easy to make. So, grab the cutting board and let’s prep some healthy kids lunchbox ideas that make fueling young kids satisfying and stress-free.
Healthy Kids Lunchbox Ideas
Hey, I get it. As a mum of five kids, lunchboxes used to be such a crazy production-line in my house. Our children are all teens now and thankfully they pack and look after their food these days. However, if you’re raising younger kiddies and providing a packed lunch, I am here to share with you how it doesn’t have to be so stressful (or expensive). With a little creativity, you can throw together lunches that are balanced and exciting for kids to eat. Yes, even for the fussiest of eaters!
1. Bento-Style Lunchboxes
Bento boxes are a Japanese-inspired lunchbox with each food item neatly tucked into its own section or compartment. This prevents food from getting soggy, and kids love the a little of this & that experience. Bento boxes are perfect for your fussy little eaters, provide well-balanced meals with lots of opportunity for variety, and are some of the easiest kids lunchbox ideas. Some fun and tasty bento box food items to include are:
- Mini Quiches – bake these in advance using eggs, spinach, cheese, and a sprinkle of herbs. They’re high in protein and fiber and easy to grab for a quick lunch.
- Veggie Sticks with Hummus – packed with fiber and healthy fats, they’re the perfect snack to keep hunger at bay; include colourful veggies like red and yellow capsicums, orange carrots, green beans or snap peas, celery and cucumber sticks with homemade hummus, guacamole, tzatziki dip.
- Cheese & Whole-Grain Crackers – a good source of protein and fiber if you use whole grain or seed biscuits or rice cakes with a few slices of cheese. You can also include a few cucumber wheels, baby carrots and slices of leftover roast beef or chicken for the older kids who may need a bigger snack.
- Whole Foods & Fruits – I used to call these “rabbit snacks” but it’s really just fresh food items like baby carrots, whole cherry tomatoes, grapes, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, homemade protein bliss balls, seasoned popcorn, snap peas, or strawberries. My kids enjoyed telling me what the “bunny in their tummy” wanted to be fed each day.
- Egg Muffins – provide a high-protein meal or snack for kids of all ages, and are so easy to make to their preferences. Bake these the night before using 8 eggs with a little garlic, onion powder and salt and pour the mix into small muffin cups. Let the kids personalize theirs with their favourite veggies, meat and cheese, then bake.
The secret to healthy bento lunchboxes is to include as many of your child’s favourites to help encourage them to eat well-balanced at school. This worked so well with my youngest, and she delighted in packing her own bento box with things we both knew she’d actually finish at school. No more wasted food!
2. Protein-Packed Wraps
Wraps are an excellent lunchbox option and can be stuffed with plenty of lean protein and high-fibre veggies to appeal to kids. Choose a healthy, high-fibre wrap or use large lettuce leaves rolled up and cut into sushi-like pieces. Some easy wrap ideas include:
- Chicken & Avocado Wrap – lean chicken with creamy avocado and a drizzle of a homemade yoghurt-based dressing provides protein, fibre, and healthy fats.
- Turkey & Veggie Wrap – fill whole wheat wraps with turkey slices, cucumber, spinach, and hummus for a light, fresh, and protein-packed lunch.
- Mexican Wraps – stuff small or mini tortillas with leftover taco beef mix with a little grated cheese, carrot, cucumber and shredded lettuce. Add avocado or a drizzle of salsa if they like spicy. These are extra fun for kids served in mini taco shells.
- Tuna Salad Wraps – mix tuna with a little mayo, finely chopped celery or cucumber and stuff into a few layers of Romaine or leaf lettuce. Roll up these and cut into sushi-style pieces; great for bento boxes.
Wraps were one of the easiest meals for me to prep for my kids. I just slapped down five wholewheat tortillas production-line style, and used up whatever leftovers we had that each child liked for the filling. I’d added extra veggies, shredded greens and a blob of their favourite dip to hold it all together. It took me maybe 5-7 minutes to make them all and helped prevent food waste in our large household.
3. Make Your Own ‘Construction’ Lunch
Similar to the bento boxes above, “construction lunches” are a super fun way to pack a balanced meal for kids. You add the fillings separately and let children build their own lunch.
- Base – pack a base like mini wholewheat tortillas, sandwich bread cut into fun shapes, spinach or seaweed wraps, or a fresh, sturdy lettuce and then provide the fillings.
- Filling – use up leftover meat chopped to fit the wrap or bread; fresh veggies cut into wheels, long strips or fun shapes; shredded cheese, and lettuce. Or try spiralised beets, carrots, or zucchini for something fun; we called them “silly-string veggies” when my children were younger.
- Dressing & Dip – include a little container with their favourite healthy dip or dressing to add flavour and hold the wrap or sandwich together.
The “construction lunch” was always a hit with my kids, especially the boys. If you also want to prevent food waste, it’s an effective way to use up all those odds and ends in the fridge.
4. Friendly Critters & Faces
You cannot go wrong with doing this at least once a week; make cute animal cut-outs or faces with food ingredients to delight your little ones. They are so simple to make with cookie cutters to shape the bread, vegetables or fruit. Here’s some popular kids lunchbox ideas that always delight kids:
- Animal Sandwiches – cut bread into fun dinosaur, teddy bear or other animal shapes.
- Caterpillars – use grapes or berries threaded on a toothpick with a strawberry head.
- Butterfly Logs – add cream cheese or hummus on celery sticks; stick thinly sliced apple or pear slices into the dip to form a pair of wings and add 2 sultanas for eyes.
- Hearts, Stars & Fish – cut fruit such as melon and kiwi, or veggies like cucumber into these fun shapes and add to a bento box or thread them on a dull toothpick as a snack.
- Shark Chase – cut bread into a shark face, lay it on top of blueberries and include a few fish biscuits for it to be chasing.
- Blob People – these are always a fun hit; all you need is a container or compartment to fill with popcorn, berries or other small ingredients. Stick two candied googly eyes on top to create a blob-like being. This is extra fun around Halloween!
Making critters was always a big hit with my kids, and if you want to prevent food waste, it’s also an effective way to use up odds and ends in the fridge and provide each child with foods you know they’ll actually eat.
Best Tips For Healthy Lunchbox Success
Work with your children to find foods they like that will provide a balance of lean protein, dietary fibre and a little healthy fats to help maintain good energy for the school day. I find if you involve them in the lunchbox making process, especially using the fun kids lunchbox ideas from above, they will be far more likely to finish their lunch and not waste food.
Fuel Little Bodies & Empower Their Minds
With a little planning and creativity, packing healthy lunches for kids can be easy, fun and provide long lasting health benefits. A well-nourished child will be able to stay more focused in class, naturally energised and ready to learn. Proper food and hydration power young brains better than anything else, so whether it’s a bento-style box, animal-shaped sandwiches or deconstructed sushi, these kids lunchbox ideas are sure to keep your children happy and healthy throughout their school day.
Commonly Asked Questions
What is the best healthy lunch for kids?
Think beyond simple sandwiches and a piece of fruit; there are plenty of healthy school lunchbox ideas you can make with a balance of nutrition for little growing bodies. Try high protein wraps, fun bento boxes, pasta salad using whole grain, lettuce “sushi rolls” with beef, chicken or tuna, and of course provide plenty of snack-able fresh fruits and vegetables. These simple, nutritious choices help keep lunch interesting, balanced, and packed with the nutrition kids need to power through their school day.
How do I pack my child a healthy lunchbox?
The best way is to start with a sturdy, insulated lunch or bento box that will keep food fresh and chilled. Storage is key and since many school keep kids’ lunchboxes in their bags or back of the classroom, ensuring everything stays cool is important. Invest in a few ice packs of varying sizes, or insulated containers to help keep food chilled or hot for meal time. Lastly, always include a drink for hydration. Eliminate waster by also sourcing re-usable sandwich and snack bags made from recycled materials. And also remember, water is brain food and always the best choice. If you do pack juice or drinks, make sure they are very low sugar and from wholefood sources.
How can I make packing school lunches easier?
In a word, batch cook, and always plan ahead. Batch-cooking means doubling up on cooking foods you can use in lunchboxes and it will save you so much time. Prep larger batches of snacks or meals like egg muffins, pasta salads, or mini quiches on the weekends. Have ready to go snacks or ingredients for meals and school lunches like vegetable sticks stored in water, home-baked banana bread, zucchini muffins and healthy oat cookies. This way all you need to do is grab a little of this and that to make fast work of packing a lunch all week.
What food should I avoid in school lunchboxes?
It’s fair to say that avoiding excessively sugary foods and drinks is a no-brainer. However, sugar hides in many places and under well over 50+ sneaky names. Look for names like corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, maltose in packaged snacks, and avoid all artificial sweeteners. None of these provide any nutritional value and can contribute to sudden mood swings, irritability, concentration issues and hyper-activity in both children and adults. Choose wholefoods, minimally processed and that offer a variety of nutrients and macros, and you can’t go wrong.
Got some of your own kids lunchbox ideas? Share them with us in the comments below! And don’t forget to check out our other articles on healthy family meals and quick recipes for busy mums and teachers.