40 School Lunch Recipes Perfect for a Lunchbox
Who says school lunch has to be boring? There are so many fun school lunch ideas here… and none of them are boring ol’ sandwiches!
Are you looking for some simple and healthy school lunches that are perfect for packing, even when you’re in a hurry? Is your kid tired of the same old sandwiches? We’ve got you covered with this big list of mostly healthy school lunch ideas that are sure to be a hit!
We’ve also got healthy snack ideas and a few sweet treats that are sure to bring a smile to their face! Best of all – the recipes each only require a few basic ingredients and are all pretty easy to make.
These kids lunches will be the star of the lunchroom, and they provide a hearty and wholesome boost to get kids through those long school days.
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Our Favorite Lunchboxes
When packing a lunch, a good lunchbox is helpful for keeping the different items safe and separate. These are some of our family favorites:
- Bento Lunchbox – I love bento lunchboxes, modeled after Japanese bento meals with compartments for each item). The hard shell keeps their lunch from getting squished, and the compartments make it easy to pack things like applesauce or hummus without it spreading.
- Lunch Tote – A lunch tote bag lets kids show their style and allows you to pack different items, such as a thermos for soup. An insulated tote can help keep their meal fresh throughout the morning.
School Lunch Recipes Perfect for a Lunchbox
Don’t make packing for lunch this year harder than it needs to be. Use these simple recipes as a great way to prepare their school lunch every day. You can scroll through the recipes or use the table of contents below for easy navigation. To view a full recipe, tap the recipe title or photo.
Special Sandwich Ideas
While we did include a few sandwich ideas, they are all unique and none of them are “regular” sandwiches! Bread is a thrifty lunch ingredient, so we didn’t want to leave these off of the list!
Mini Ham Star Sandwiches – All you need are simple ingredients like deli meat and bread, plus a cookie cutter to make these fun sandwiches! You can also use the star cookie cutter to make bite-size cheese snacks!
Halloween Bento Lunch – Kick off the celebration early and make their entire lunchbox a fun theme on Halloween! The star of the show is this cute mummy sandwich, plus there are several other ideas for a balanced meal. We love to use sun butter or almond butter for our mummies.
Sandwich Lollipops – A new “spin” on sandwiches that makes them easy to eat and a fun surprise for the kiddos!
Soccer-Themed Lunch for Kids – This easy and wholesome lunch features an Uncrustables-style sandwich and more tasty treats for your little soccer star!
Non-Sandwich Lunch Ideas
If you’re looking for something different than a sandwich, there are lots of simple recipes to try here! From pizza muffins to chicken flautas, there is definitely something here for even picky eaters!
Pepperoni Rolls – A true West Virginia recipe, pepperoni rolls were a favorite lunch for coal miners because they could pack them in their lunch tin and enjoy a hearty meal at work. Pepperoni rolls are also perfect for school lunch boxes and were a favorite of mine growing up!
Mini Corn Dog Muffins – The kids will LOVE opening their lunch box and seeing this! It’s not only fun to make, but they’ll be the hit at the lunch table with this homemade recipe.
Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets – This is one of my kids’ favorite meals! And you won’t believe how easy it is to make a spot-on copycat of those famous crispy chicken nuggets. Plus, it’s budget-friendly! (I pack mine with our favorite Chick-fil-a inspired sauces…you can see all of our favorite Chick-fil-A copycat recipes here!)
Biscuit Pizzas – These mini pizzas are made from canned biscuit dough and couldn’t be easier to prepare!
Italian Pinwheels – All the flavors of a classic Italian sub sandwich, rolled up into delicious bite-size portions.
Pizza Muffins – Another fun idea for pizza day! These muffins are easy to handle and mess-free!
Easy Mexican Pizza Recipe – Nothing screams awesome like sticking a few slices of homemade pizza in their lunch box!
Pizza Quesadillas – The great thing about pizza recipes is that they never get old. You can literally make pizza in so many fun and new ways.
Chicken Flautas – Crispy tortillas wrapped around juicy chicken. Perfect for dipping in ranch dressing, avocado dressing, or guacamole! If your kid loves tortilla chips, they will love this dish!
Cornbread Muffins – We baked these hearty cornbread muffins in a special pan so they look like corncobs. This is also a gluten-free recipe!
Veggie Pinwheels – Tasty and filling wraps with lots of nutritious vegetables like cucumbers, spinach, and carrots. You can easily customize with your favorite veggies! Bell peppers, sliced cherry tomatoes, and lettuce would all work well.
Zoo-Themed Lunch for Kids – A pita bread topped with veggies and fruit that looks like a lion, plus animal crackers and fruit!
Cauliflower Nuggets – A vegetarian alternative to chicken nuggets that tastes so good kids will ask for them by name!
Healthy Snacks
Kids love snacks, and you can feel good about packing these healthy snack recipes in their school lunchbox!
Homemade Fruit-Roll Ups – You only need 2 ingredients to make these healthy fruit roll-ups! This strawberry apple fruit leather is flavorful and contains no added sugar. You can also make this with your favorite fruits, like raspberries or watermelon.
Peanut Butter Granola Bars – They’ll love having this healthy treat in their lunch box. Perfect for a snack or a great way to fill their bellies during lunch.
Chocolate Hummus – Pack some apple slices or cookies and have this as a fun dessert for the kids. Hummus is loaded with health benefits that are great for them to have!
Healthy Homemade Granola – made with simple ingredients like oats, coconut, honey, and cinnamon, baked to perfection in the oven. Crunchy and flavorful, it’s the perfect healthy snack!
Healthy Green Gummies – Made with green juice, these gummies taste fruity and are loaded with superfood benefits and vitamins!
Apple Cinnamon Oat Balls – These little granola bites are packed with fall flavor and energy to get through the school day!
Strawberry Ladybugs – Now these are one bug that kids will actually LOVE! Made with fresh fruit and a little bit of chocolate, they’re a sweet and mostly healthy treat!
Blueberry Trail Mix – Made with just 3 ingredients, this blueberry trail mix is a mix of flavors, textures, and nutrients that kids of all ages will love. Made with real blueberries!
Healthy Seed Crackers – A true superfood snack that’s a great source of protein and fiber!
Banana Applesauce Muffins – A great way to start the day, these healthy homemade muffins are gluten-free and contain no refined sugar.
Oatmeal Muffins – A nutrient-dense muffin that has all the benefits of a bowl of oatmeal, in a mess-free handheld bite!
Greek Yogurt Chocolate Muffins – They taste rich and chocolatey, but these muffins are lower in sugar than most store-bought muffins, and they contain fiber!
Lunchbox Treats & Desserts
Growing up, my favorite part of lunch was dessert of course! Here are some fun kids dessert ideas to sweeten their day:
Honey Nut Cheerio Balls – Made like popcorn balls, but even yummier! Kids will love this fun treat made with a favorite cereal!
Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies – These homemade oatmeal cream pies taste just like the classic, but even better because they’re homemade! The cookies are fresh baked, so you don’t have any preservatives that can take away from the flavor of the cookie itself.
Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars – Just like the school cafeteria used to make! A classic no-bake peanut butter bar topped with white chocolate frosting.
Homemade Cosmic Brownies – Growing up, Cosmic Brownies were my favorite lunchbox dessert. Now you can make a copycat of the Little Debbie favorite, from scratch and so delicious!
Galaxy Cake Pops – Dare I say that these cake pops are out of this world delicious? Find out how simple and easy they are to make!
Jello Gummy Bears – You won’t believe how easy it is to make homemade gummy bears with a box of Jello! Kids are going to love these colorful and fruity treats!
Candy Sushi – Even the pickiest of eaters will love this candy “sushi” made with rice krispie treats!
School Books Rice Krispie Treats – Celebrate a new school year with these cute little rice krispie treats decorated to look like notebooks!
Keto Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats – There’s no way that they won’t love this simple dessert!
Reese’s Stuffed Cupcakes – There’s a good chance that they’re never going to want any other cupcake after eating this one! Check out that filling!
Orange Juice Cookies – Give them a boost of citrus flavor to their lunches with these fun cookies. Unlike anything you’ve ever made! The glaze on top is the best!
More Ideas for Picky Eaters
As you can see, packing a lunchbox doesn’t have to be stressful! You can easily pick one of these recipes to start with and work your way down the list.
Adding a new recipe and food item to their lunchbox daily would be a super fun goal to have this year. Keep their school lunches fun and delicious with these easy recipes!
Kid-Friendly Recipes for Picky Eaters
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