Lunch Box Fun: Your guide to building fun and easy lunches for kids (and adults)

If you’re struggling to figure out what to send with your kids for lunch, then you are in the right place. We have compiled multiple ideas that are easy on the go lunches. Throw them in your kids lunch box and they’re off and running. We love a Bento style box which makes it easy to keep foods separate but whatever lunch box you have works!

A healthy lunch allows your kids to be more successful in school by providing them with the fuel they need for their brains and bodies.

Mix and match to create a lunch that your kid will not only eat but will love and you’ll feel good about. Let your kids help decide what goes into their lunch box so they are more likely to eat it. You can do some meal prep ahead of time for a lot of these which makes putting them together even easier and quicker.

We always do a main protein, a veggie (or two), a fruit, and 1-2 side or snack options. This can easily be adapted for your kids favorite foods, dietary preferences, and food availability.

Make a list of the proteins, veggies, fruits, and sides that your kid will eat and some new ones that they are willing to try, and then you have some ideas ready when it comes time to packing lunches. They can help pick out which foods they want on the lists, which ones they will eat, and which new ones they are willing to try. Including your kids in the process is a great way for them to feel like their preferences are being heard and kids who choose and have a part in making food themselves are more likely to actually eat them.

For example, you will see some foods on the lists that don’t often appear in the pictures - and this is because these pictures are actual lunches that I have made for my kids, and there are certain foods that they don’t love to eat (or eat for breakfast regularly) and so I don’t often include those, such as hard boiled eggs. For other kids, that might be their favorite. This is why it is helpful to make your own list at home, using the lists below as a starting point.

Protein:

Veggies: I try to pack multiple veggie options each day so that in case they aren’t in the mood for one that day, they can have the other. I find that when I offer options, they will at least eat one of the veggies, if not all of them. This is better than skipping the veggies completely because they didn’t like the one that I decided to pack that day.

  • Veggies and ranch:

    • Cucumber slices

    • Carrot sticks

    • Celery

    • Bell pepper slices

  • Cherry tomatoes

  • Olives

  • Avocado/Guacamole (Make sure there is enough lime in it to prevent it from turning brown before lunch. A lid on a closed container can help too.)

  • Sweet potato fritters or veggie fries (usually leftovers from the previous night’s dinner)

Fruit:

  • Apple slices

  • Banana (you can cut the banana in half and leave the peel on to prevent it from turning brown)

  • Berries

  • Grapes

  • Orange

  • Peach

  • Pear

Side/Snack:

  • Cheese (Cheese has protein but is listed here because it is not typically our main protein.)

  • Chips: Plantain chips, tortilla chips, or veggie chips

  • Puffs (Chickpea, cauliflower, or cassava puffs are some of our favorites)

  • Granola bar

  • Crackers (gluten free (GF) crackers such as almond crackers or other GF options)

  • Rice cake with almond (or sunflower) butter

  • Trail mix/nuts

  • Raisins or other dried fruit

  • Yogurt (dairy or dairy-free options)

  • Almond butter for dipping (or peanut butter or sunflower butter depending on what your school allows)

  • Note: I typically pack the side/snack out of the box (except for cheese) in a reusable container or zipper bag to keep them fresh which is why they aren’t always pictured here. The plantain chips and crackers are often stale by lunch if they have been sitting in the lunch box, especially if it’s packed the night before and sent to school with a cooler pack.

Notes:

  • The age of your kid, and their personal preference, will dictate how large (or small) you need to cut things for them.

  • Make it easy for your kids to eat - peel and cut fruits and veggies ahead of time as much as possible.

  • Make it fun. You can cut things into fun shapes, put the food in silicone baking cups (as seen below) or include a “love you” note.

    • If you kid likes to build/mix their own food, leave as many parts deconstructed as you can and let them do it themselves at lunch time. Such as:

      • Build your own yogurt parfait with granola and berries that they can mix into the yogurt container.

      • Do it yourself lunchables style box with cheese, meat, and crackers that they can stack

      • Build your own trail mix where you include the nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, etc. separately and let them mix them together. You can include an empty container or empty silicone baking cup for them to mix in.

  • These are all actual lunches that have been made for and eaten by my kids

    Make sure to check back regularly. We are continuously updating this page with new photos and ideas.