Best Lunch Ideas for Kids: Finding the Perfect Lunch Ideas for Your Kids
Brown bagging doesn’t have to be boring and repetitive, especially with this list of the best lunch ideas for kids. With this list, there are so many ways to spice up your kid’s lunches and keep them happy at lunchtime.
In this list of the best lunch ideas for kids, we feature 25 different lunch options – all options that are easy to make and easy to transport. Even if you have a picky eater, there is bound to be something on this list of the top lunch ideas for kids that will have your child asking for more.
The other great thing about these lunches is that most of them are also healthy and nutritious. So not only will your kids be able to have lunches that they enjoy, but you will also know that they are getting the nutrition that they need.
Visit our list of the best cooking blogs for even more inspiration. And, if you need any of the kitchen tools required to make one of these great lunch ideas, our list of the best kitchen tools is sure to have you covered.
Top 25 Lunch Ideas for Kids:
1. Pita Pizza
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Pita Bread, Hummus, Feta Cheese, Toppings
About Lunch Idea: Cooked or uncooked, hummus pita pizza is a tasty alternative to traditional pizza. And, who doesn’t love pizza? For additional options, mix up the toppings – try meat, tomatoes, different types of cheese, and olives! This is sure to be a lunch fan favorite time and time again. For a little bit of extra nutrition, consider adding a small salad to go along with this pizza.
2. Pizza Scrolls
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Pastries, Pizza Sauce, Cheese, Toppings
About Lunch Idea: Pizza scrolls are another great option to traditional pizza. This lunch idea does require cooking. So be sure to make these pizza scrolls the night before (they taste great cold and store well). For added nutritional value, add in some veggies like peppers and spinach.
3. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi Rolls
Prep Time: 5 Minute
Cook Time: N/A
Primary Ingredients: Bread, Peanut Butter, Jelly
About Lunch Idea: Yes, these are just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When the crust comes off, though, and the sandwich is rolled and sliced, it turns into sushi! This run-of-the-mill lunch idea becomes something kids are excited about. The more fun food is to eat, the more likely a child is going to eat it. So if you have a picky eater, give this lunch idea a try.
4. The Elvis Burrito
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes (Bacon)
Primary Ingredients: Whole Wheat Wrap, Peanut Butter, Bacon, Honey, Banana
About Lunch Idea: For a fun wrap idea, the Elvis burrito is the way to go. The only cooked ingredient is bacon, so make sure you have some on hand. Other than that, add honey and banana with the bacon and wrap it all up in a tasty whole-wheat wrap. You can’t go wrong anytime bananas, peanut butter, and bacon are involved. So be prepared to make this lunch on a regular basis.
5. Thermos Smoothie
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Primary Ingredients: Favorite Fruits, Vegetables, Yogurt, Milk, Honey
About Lunch Idea: Have a good thermos? Then smoothies are going to be a great lunch option! The thermos will make sure that the smoothie is still cold and refreshing when it comes time for lunch. This recipe provides both fiber and protein. You can also experiment with combinations to produce your own delicious smoothies. For bigger eaters, consider pairing this smoothie up with another lunch option on this list.
6. Ham and Mac & Cheese Muffins
Prep Time: 5-10 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Mac and Cheese, Diced Ham, Bread Crumbs, Eggs
About Lunch Idea: What child doesn’t like mac and cheese? Now add in some ham and the fact that it is in cool little muffin bites, and you are going to have a for sure lunch winner. This is a great lunch idea to make all on its own, but it also is a great way to reuse leftovers if you have mac and cheese for dinner.
7. Fruity Chicken Balls
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Carrot, Chicken Mince, Bread Crumbs, Apple, Pear
About Lunch Idea: With a prep time and cook time totaling only 25 minutes, these fruity chicken balls are both tasty and easy to make. Not only are they filling and healthy, but they are also going to help bring some much-needed variety when it comes to lunchbox meals. If you are looking to add some protein variety, this is one of the best lunch ideas for kids.
8. Banana Cereal Snacks
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Primary Ingredients: Banana, Peanut Butter, Rice Crispies Cereal
About Lunch Idea: The bananas and peanut butter combination is hard to beat. Now add in delicious Rice Krispies, and it is almost like a dessert but still healthy. These banana cereal snacks are a great way to add some flavor to your kid’s lunch box without having to go with candy or something else that is unhealthy. They are also straightforward to make, as well.
9. Chicken Ranch Wraps
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Chicken Breast, Tortillas, Mozzarella Cheese, Ranch, Cilantro
About Lunch Idea: This is a lunch idea that is going to have you wanting to make extras for yourself. These chicken ranch wraps are one of the best lunch ideas for kids and sure to be a regular in the lunchbox rotation as they are great tasting, healthy, and filling. Also, these wraps are easy to assemble and can be made with leftover chicken from dinner the night before if needed.
10. Ham and Cheese Apple Wraps
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Primary Ingredients: Apples, Cheese, Deli Ham
About Lunch Idea: There is just something about the apple, cheese, and ham combination that goes so well together. This lunch box idea is as simple as it sounds in that you are simply going to wrap the ham around a piece of cheese and apple. Add in some Ritz Crackers to eat with the wraps, and your child will be the star of the lunch table.
11. Mini Salad Pita Pockets
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Primary Ingredients: Pita Pockets, Colby Jack Cheese, Deli Turkey, Lettuce and Other Toppings, Salad Dressing
About Lunch Idea: Sandwiches are easy to make, but they can sometimes get a little boring. Pita pockets are just as easy to make as sandwiches, but they will help to provide some lunch food variation. You can get creative with what you stuff your pita with as well.
12. Mini Pumpkin Pancakes
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Flour, Brown Sugar, Pumpkin Puree, Egg, Milk
About Lunch Idea: It doesn’t have to be fall weather for your child to enjoy some great-tasting pumpkin pancakes for lunch. Not your typical lunch idea, as it is actually a breakfast food. These mini pumpkin pancakes are going to be fun and taste great. They will help to create a little variation in the monotony that sometimes comes with a repetitive lunch rotation.
13. Fruit Skewers
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Primary Ingredients: Blueberries, Grapes, Strawberries, Mango, Kiwi
About Lunch Idea: Fruit has never been so fun to eat than with these skewers. With bright colors and patterns, they will help to keep lunch interesting and fun. You will also be able to keep this idea fresh with different fruit options on the skewers as well.
14. Taco Salad
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Ground Turkey, Black Beans, Lettuce, Cheese
About Lunch Idea: This is a little bit more of a grown-up lunch, but can easily be used for a kids lunch as well. This taco salad recipe will require a little bit of planning, but the taste and quality will be completely worth it in the end. It is also going to be a balanced and filling meal as well. To keep this lunch idea fresh, you can also substitute in and out different ingredients.
15. English Muffin Pizza
Prep Time: 2 Minutes
Cook Time: 8 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: English Muffin, Pizza Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese
About Lunch Idea: If you didn’t do this as a kid, your childhood was severely lacking. These English muffin pizzas are not only delicious and fun, but they are also a breeze to make. Simply put some sauce and cheese on an English muffin and toast it all in the toaster oven. You can even add in some different toppings like ham, pepperoni, or whatever sounds good. They also taste great cold, so no worries if they sit in a lunchbox for a few hours.
16. Pinwheel Sandwiches
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Primary Ingredients: Wrap, Meat, Cheese, Lettuce, Spread
About Lunch Idea: These pinwheel sandwiches are going to allow you to provide some delicious variation to your child’s lunches. They are also easy to make, as well. Start by laying out a tortilla shell, place the desired ingredients on the shell, roll it up, and slice. It is that easy. These pinwheel sandwiches are one of the best lunch ideas for kids and will help keep lunch interesting and fun.
17. Homemade Lunchables
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Primary Ingredients: White or Wheat Bread Rounds, Pizza Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, Pepperonis
About Lunch Idea: Kids love playing with their food; it is a scientific fact (okay, maybe not a scientific fact, but still valid). Homemade Lunchables are going to allow your kids to put together their own lunch in a fun and delicious way. With several different options, you will be able to rotate through all of them or choose the ones that they like best.
18. Fruity Peanut Butter Pitas
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Primary Ingredients: Pitta Pocket, Peanut Butter, Apple, Banana
About Lunch Idea: Healthy and great tasting, these fruity peanut butter pitas have everything that you could ask for in a kid’s lunch. Along with being great for your kids, they are also going to be easy to prepare. So if you do not have much time to make lunch, this would be a great option. If you do have some extra time and are really looking to impress, consider making a homemade bread recipe for the pita.
19. Trail Mix
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Primary Ingredients: M&M’s, Cheerios, Pretzels, Goldfish
About Lunch Idea: Trail mix is not going to be an entire lunch in itself. It does make a great snack or add on to a sandwich or something else along those lines, though. So instead of packing a bag of potato chips in your child’s next lunchbox, why don’t you try out this trail mix?
20. Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Prep Time: 5-10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Ground Chicken, Oats, Parmesan Cheese, Breadcrumbs
About Lunch Idea: It is hard to go wrong with chicken nuggets, especially if they have a design like these homemade nuggets do. This lunch is going to take a little bit longer to prepare, but your kids will be thanking you in no time flat. Along with being great tasting, having made these nuggets in your own home, you know what all is going into them.
21. Quesadillas
Prep Time: 5-15 Minutes
Cook Time: 5-10 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Tortilla Wrap, Meat, Veggies, Cheese
About Lunch Idea: Quesadillas, like sandwiches, can be pretty much their own lunch category, which is why they are one of the best lunch ideas for kids. Introducing quesadillas into your kid’s lunch box will open up a lot of lunch possibilities. The great thing about quesadillas is that they don’t take long to prepare and are going to be filling for your kids.
22. Bagel Breakfast Sandwich
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Bagel, Bacon, Egg, Cheese
About Lunch Idea: Who says you can’t have breakfast for lunch? This bagel breakfast sandwich does require some cooking, but can easily be prepared ahead of time and tastes great hot or cold. You may want to make two, though, because you are going to be wanting one yourself after you get finished. And if you are still looking for more great-tasting sandwiches for lunch, make sure to visit our list of the best sandwich recipes for twenty different excellent sandwiches to try.
23. Meatball Sandwich
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Meatballs, Marinara Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, French Roll
About Lunch Idea: Thermoses aren’t just for soup. For this lunch idea, warmed frozen meatballs and jarred tomato sauce hold up great in a thermos. They will be nice and hot when lunchtime rolls around. Complete this lunch with a hamburger or hotdog bun with some provolone cheese on the side. Your child will have a tasty meatball sandwich after a quick assembly.
24. Pizza Pasta Salad
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 12-15 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Pasta, Mozzarella Cheese, Salami, Sundried Tomato Pesto, Olives, Basil, Plum Tomatoes
About Lunch Idea: A heartier, kid-friendly pasta salad lunch option. This idea does require a bit of prep. If you make a good amount, though, the leftovers hold up well and are great for additional lunches. This lunch option is going to be great because it is not only going to be great tasting, but it is also going to be balanced and filling as well.
25. Thermos Noodle Soup
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Primary Ingredients: Noodles, Beef Bouillon
About Lunch Idea: While any type of soup or chili works well in a thermos, this soup recipe is simple, straightforward, simple, and homemade to boot. Make a large batch and enjoy the leftovers! Add in some delicious bread to dip or crackers that can be crumbled up into the soup, and you will have a sure winner.
Best Lunch Ideas for Kids Conclusion
Once you have tried a couple of these lunches, please let us know how they turned out in the comments below. Also, if you have a favorite lunch idea that you don’t see on the list, please feel free to share it as well.
Making you kinds eat vegetables is a huge task. Thank God, I was able to achieve that.